Two Weeks In Miami
by belletylers
Summary: Ray's getting relocated at the end of the summer, and wants to make the most of his Miami beach house with Ziva. There's just one problem: he wants Tony and EJ to come along. Here begins the craziest vacation ever. No big deal. It's only two weeks, right?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: OK, so I thought of this on my holidays…sad, isn't it? So I don't know how long this will be…definitely not very, but I said that about my last story and that ended up being 46 chapters…no, that won't happen. OK, so Ray never got the assignment for Tel Aviv at the end of 'Pyramid'. Note: I know, or at least I've heard, that Americans don't get much vacation time, and being feds the NCIS gang would probably get even less, but for the sake of the story, you know.**

**Prologue**

Ray took Ziva's left hand in his own, and looked into her eyes. She still seemed surprised he was even sitting there. They seemed to have gotten so good at this long-distance thing that whenever they saw each other it was a little bit of a shock. Especially when he dropped in unexpectedly…at her workplace.

"Is everything OK?" she asked, with a cautious smile. _Goddamn her ability to know when there's something up, _Ray thought inwardly.

"I'm being relocated," Ray admitted, gripping her hand tighter as if she would run away.

Her beautiful smile faded into a frown. "Does this mean…?"

"No!" he quickly answered before she could finish her question. "It's only Chicago. We managed with me in Miami, we can manage now, right?"

Ziva chewed her lip and nodded. "Right. But, um…is there a reason you came to tell me that in person? Not that I'm complaining—"

"Hey, it's OK," he said, stroking her cheek lightly with the back of his hand. "The thing is, I know you've got some time off soon, and I was wondering if you'd help me use up the last remaining time at my beach house before I sell it."

The Israeli-American's face lifted at the idea. "Beach house? You never mentioned one."

"I do invest my savings in something, you know. It's right on the beach, there's a great bar across the street." He grinned at her, running a hand through her hair. "I just need someone to share it with."

For good measure, and because she just looked so beautiful when she smiled, he leant in and kissed her softly. She responded, but not without hesitation. She _was _at work after all. Anyone could walk in, at any moment.

"Sounds perfect," she replied.

"I'm not done," he said. "I want you to invite Tony."

Ziva almost flew out of her chair. "What?" she exclaimed, probably a little too loudly. "Are you out of your mind?" she hissed, aware that any more noise could attract attention from unwanted co-workers. They had learnt from past experiences that NCIS's break room was not very well insulated from sounds. Besides, it was the only room containing a candy machine.

"Let me finish," Ray said, trying to calm her. "Of all your co-workers, he was the hardest to…uh…win over."

_He always is, _Ziva's inner voice remarked, meanwhile the rest of her brain was still trying to process what exactly had gotten into Ray.

"I want your friends to be my friends, Ziva."

"I understand that, Ray, but being friends with Tony isn't as easy as it sounds," she tried to reason with him. "And besides," she added, lowering her voice again, "don't you think he'd feel like a fifth wheel?"

"You mean 'third wheel'?"

"Well what has two wheels?"

Ray looked at her blankly. "A bicycle?"

"But that can fit only one person, which really just eliminates the purpose of calling them a third wheel in the first place."

"Well, he can bring Agent Barrett."

This holiday was getting more insane by the minute. "Agent Barrett is on leave," Ziva said, quite happy with any excuse to keep EJ away from her romantic Miamian getaway.

"You told me she's coming back to work on one of your other teams the same day as you."

_Dammit. He has me cornered, and he's not backing down. _

"Well," she said, in a somewhat conclusive manner. "This is going to be a very interesting two weeks."

…

**A/N: Should I continue? Thoughts? Reviews?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So I hope I don't get in **_**trouble **_**from the anonymous flamers that reviewed the last chapter, because I sincerely hope you're not reading this. Thanks to everyone who reviewed positively and constructively and special thanks to imakemyownluck for defending me (: Sorry for the wait, here's your new chapter.**

"Wait…" Tony DiNozzo started, rising from his desk chair to meet the eyes of his female co-worker, "you want _me _to come with _you _to _your boyfriend's _beach house?"

Ziva swayed on her heels, her hands clasped tightly behind her back, and nodded unsurely. "Yes," she answered.

"And you want me to bring EJ?" he asked further, raising his eyebrows in shocked disbelief.

"Yes," Ziva repeated, nodding again.

"Why?"

"Ray is a part of my life, and EJ is a part of yours. It is best for us to both get over any…drama, yes?" She told him this, but wasn't sure if she was convincing him or herself.

"You do remember what happened to you last time we were all in the same place at the same time, don't you?" he asked, this time more worried about her than himself, knowing how hurt she had been. That had been thirty seconds. What could happen in two weeks?

"The past is the past. This is a prime example of the 'drama'," she argued, not backing down.

Tony stubbornly crossed his arms over his chest. "And why would _I _want to spend my vacation with you and CI-Ray?" he asked, thinking she would have no answer. But oh no, not Ziva David.

"Ray can get us a free flight, you do not have to pay for accommodation, and his place is right on the beach," she told him.

Tony was silent, stunned at her efforts. She was always persistent, just now more than normal.

"So, are you coming?"

"I'll get back to you," he answered simply as she turned for the elevator. "Where are you going?"

"I promised Ray I'd drop him off at the airport. His flight back to Miami is in two hours."

Tony didn't take his eyes off her. The elevator doors closed and eventually re-opened to let out a middle-aged man from the other side of the office and still he stared at the metal doors.

"I don't like it," McGee finally stated, piping up after one of Tony and Ziva's conversations where they completely forget his presence.

"Me neither," Tony agreed.

"Then why didn't you refuse?"

The movie buff didn't answer.

"You're not seriously thinking of going, are you?"

Tony shrugged. "Might be."

"Tony!" the younger man scorned. "You could barely stand to be around Ziva when she's with Ray in the office. How do you think she's gonna act on vacation?"

"Doesn't matter. Ziva's right: we need to get over acting weird around each other's…"

"Partners?" McGee supplied.

"No, _I'm_ Ziva's partner. Whatever you wanna call the guy. I may not like him, but I gotta learn to deal with him if he makes her happy, right?"

McGee shot Tony a strange look.

"What, Probie?" Tony snapped after a few unbearable seconds of McGee's intense staring.

"Nothing, it's just…" He shrugged, knowing he could talk no further sense into Tony. "Your funeral."

…

Later that night, Tony dialled the familiar number into his cell phone and collapsed into the reclining chair that rested always in his living room in his apartment. It rang twice, then he heard the voice of the blonde ringing through the tiny speaker.

"Hey," he said. "So…I was wondering, got any plans for the next two weeks?"

…

**A/N: I know these chapters are short, but hopefully they will get longer as we go. They will start the vacation next chapter. I'll update as soon as I can. **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry for the wait again, guys. Here's your new chapter. It's very short, but I figured I should get **_**something **_**up for you.**

As much as a free trip to Miami in the middle of summer did beat sitting at home wearing underwear and a tank top watching TV with a can of beer while waiting for the air conditioner repair man to show up, Tony was no longer so sure that it was a very good idea. But there was no way he was backing out, not a chance in hell. He was too proud, and he knew Ziva would tease him, saying he was intimidated by Ray, or jealous. He knew the only way to get out of it was if EJ didn't. But EJ was a determined person, and though she was easily agitated, she liked to see the best in people. Her subtle dislike for Ziva had faded since they had last spoken and she had never disliked Ray in the first place, and like Tony, she loved a freebie. So it was settled.

Ziva, Tony and EJ boarded their early morning flight, knowing in just a few hours they would be in Miami, Ray waiting for them at the airport. And it _was_ early. Ziva was a morning person, and she wasn't even sure she could put up with Tony at five in the morning, let alone EJ. But Ray had insisted this was the only flight available, so they had no other option, and unfortunately, Ziva would have to deal with the blonde, who was certainly acting strange. She was all over Tony, constantly touching him and grabbing his hand, telling Ziva about things they had done together. Ziva, being Ziva, could clearly see this was bothering Tony, and that made a little part of her very pleased.

EJ knew she was acting ridiculous, but she couldn't stop herself. She had always this suspicion about her around Ziva. She liked the other woman just fine, but there was something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Maybe it was that Tony never talked about her or their partnership, and the fact that Ziva was easily more beautiful than her, poised, smart, professional, exotic…she needed to get these thoughts out of her head. What was she expecting? For Tony to run off with Ziva? _Unlikely, _she told herself inwardly. _He picked me over her. That should make me happy. _And it did, which in turn just made her more talkative. It was a vicious cycle.

EJ's strange behaviour continued over the course of the flight. She was seated in the middle aisle, with a man beside her. Tony was directly across the aisle from her, and Ziva had the window seat, contently reading her novel. A few times Tony's short attention span would get the better of him and he would try to read over Ziva's shoulder, which drove her nuts and was often the cause of a slap.

"Watcha readin', David? Romance novel? Horror?" Tony probed nosily.

"Crime," she answered blankly, immersed in the pages of her book.

He scoffed. "Just for a change."

She rolled her eyes at him, only encouraging him further. "It's called _Bare Bones _and it happens to be very good," she informed him, matter-of-factly.

"Oh, I've read that!" EJ piped up, causing the two agents to silence their banter and lazily turn their attention to the blonde.

"But did you watch the TV show first?" Ziva asked sceptically, not really assuming Barrett as the type of person who enjoyed reading.

"What TV show?" Tony asked, confused.

"_Bones_," both women answered in unison.

"Never really cared for that show," Tony commented, and plugged in his headphones, scanning through a list of on-flight movies.

**A/N: I couldn't resist. :D Reviews?**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: SOOO sorry for not updating been super busy! Here's your newest chapter. **

It was a relief to all three of the passengers travelling that day to finally rise from their stiff aeroplane chairs and stretch their legs. Ziva seemed somewhat at peace, Tony was quiet (for once) and EJ was just, well…EJ. After collecting their luggage and making their way through the airport, Tony made the biggest show of taking his "first breath of the Miami air", as he put it, once they finally stepped outside into the afternoon sunshine.

"Do not tell me you have never been to Miami, Tony?" Ziva asked sceptically. Surely a man who chased after tan, bikini-sporting women his entire life had spent at least _some _time in Miami.

"Course I have," Tony replied, losing his focus as three blondes in their twenties in short shorts and tank tops passed them. "Reminds me of…"

"Let me guess," Ziva interrupted, eyeing the blonde to see how well she truly knew Tony.

"Spring Break," they both said, once again throwing Tony off his guard. For two very different women, they were extremely good at reading each other's thoughts.

"Circa 1995?" EJ added curiously.

"It was '96, actually," Tony corrected. "Me and my buddies must have gone to almost every bar in town. And _man _the chicks…" He trailed off nervously, feeling warning but amused eyes from Ziva and burning eyes from EJ. "What time did you say CI-Ray would pick us up, Zee-vah?" he asked his partner, quickly changing the subject.

She smirked and answered, "Two."

He watched her expectantly. "And the time is?"

Before she could answer, a call rang out through the busy airport.

"Ziva!"

They all looked behind them and say Ray Cruz leaning against Mercedes, waving.

Ziva sped up her walking and EJ tried to keep up with her, eager too to see her friend. Tony lagged behind, greeting the Miami resident with a somewhat friendly handshake and a muttered, "thanks".

The dysfunctional four all piled into Ray's car, and for most of the hour drive, the sound of the music playing from the radio was the only thing preventing silence. EJ of course tried to fill the void by thanking Ray again for his hospitality, and he responded politely, but afterward just turned up his radio a little more, the quiet jazz beat pumping through the speakers.

"_Jazz," _Tony thought to himself. _"So he's a player, a chick magnet. No one really _likes _jazz, do they?"_

He glanced at his partner, sitting in the seat in front of him. The sun was coming in from her window, making her hair shine and her eyes glitter. But those eyes were on the driver. Did Ray really love her? Was he really everything Ziva said he was? Was he just being…overprotective? Ziva didn't need protection. Was it jealousy? What was there to be jealous of? He had EJ here with him.

"Crap! Stupid bird!" EJ murmured, fiddling with her iPhone. She looked up from the expression.

"It's _Angry Birds_," she explained bashfully, noting his confused but amused expression. "My sister told me it was a good way to pass time."

Tony simply smirked and returned to his precious trin of thought.

"_For Ziva," _he decided as Ray into a suburban street._ "I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. She deserves the chance to be happy, without my compulsive meddling."_

They travelled down a clean, winding street and in between each of the beautiful houses they got a glimpse of the sparkling coastline. EJ pressed her face almost right up against the glass like a little child. Ray smiled proudly, as if the land they were admiring was his own. Ray turned the car into a driveway, and silenced the engine.

"Home, sweet home."

**A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed that :) I'll update when I can :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This really irritates me, because I wrote the start of this chapter in a notebook and now I can't find it, so I have to write it again :/ Anyway, here's your new chapter.**

The house was large, one of the largest on the street, with white walls and bigwindows. The surrounding land was grass of the brightest green, and the cliché white picket fence that bordered the property had a green vine intertwined in it, dotted with pink flowers. Ray went to unlock the door while EJ stood still in admiration, and Tony and Ziva grabbed the bags.

Proudly, Ray swung the door open to reveal his summer home. The walls were all white, with art on the walls. The first room they came to was the living room, which had a plump, white leather couch in it, scattered with brightly coloured cushions. The front wall of the room, unlike the others, was teal blue, and its main focus was the large flat screen television. There was a shagpile rug on the wooden floor, and a coffee table in the centre.

Tony smirked. "You do the deco yourself, Cruz?" Tony asked cockily, skipping formalities altogether. Ziva winced a little, partly embarrassed at her partner's obnoxious behaviour and partly because she thought, with Ray's gentle nature, Tony might just succeed in his attempted to intimidate the CIA Agent, but he replied, unfazed.

"Actually, my mother is an interior designer. Well, I say 'is' but she retired five years ago. She did this with me about a month before that. Except for the S&M room; I did that one myself."

"He's kidding," Ziva added, almost before Ray had finished speaking. EJ laughed loudly, and Tony just looked bewildered. Ray laughed and threw his arm around Ziva's shoulders, making her jump a little, much to Tony's secret amusement.

"_That's my ninja," _he thought.

Gradually letting her guard down, she leant into her boyfriend's embrace, and Ray turned his head so his lips were to her ear.

"We won't be needing an S&M room," he whispered naughtily.

Tony swore he actually saw Ziva _blush _then. He didn't know what Ray had said to her, but he had an idea. Subconsciously, he sent the man a glare, which EJ must have noticed because she suddenly piped up.

"Look, Tony! Ray sure has a lot of DVDs," she said, an obvious attempt at shifting his attention.

Tony glanced over at the bookcase stacked high with DVDs, and gave an uninterested nod.

"Oh, yes, Tony, Ray's a movie buff like you," Ziva informed him.

"Impressive collection, huh?" Ray asked, somewhat glad to share a common interest with the man he was to win over.

"Mine's bigger," he shrugged.

Ray laughed it off, and the women (who thus far had had far less disagreements than Tony had expected) rolled their eyes. Ziva separated from Ray and wandered over to the bookcase to admire the collection herself, while EJ eyed the paintings hanging on every wall. She took particular interest in a beachscape, and Ray managed to give her a history on it.

"Will you be nice, Tony?" Ziva hissed at him, careful the other two wouldn't hear.

"I'm always nice," he replied quietly, staring at the top shelf.

She sighed, rubbing her temples. "At least you have something in common. And besides, you must admit it is a fairly large collection."

"Yeah, I still say mine's bigger." He paused, further lowering his voice, "I bet that's not the only thing that's bigger, either." He half-hoped Ziva wouldn't hear him for fear that she might decapitate him if she did.

"In your dreams, DiNozzo," she replied with a smirk. She watched his expression turn from placid to stunned in only seconds.

"Let me show you the upstairs," Ray said to EJ.

"We'll catch up," Tony yelled, and the other two nodded.

"What?" Tony squeaked. "Come on, the guy has small hands."

"That's a myth," she said, matter-of-factly.

"Well, I'm sure you're mistaken anyway."

"Hm," she smiled, stepping in front of him. "And why is that?"

"What, don't tell me you've forgotten?"

Her eyes scanned his body, flicking down and up in a millisecond. "Oh, I don't think it is something I could easily forget," she teased.

"Well, it has been years," he said, somewhat uncomfortably, frustrated that his partner could switch from New Ziva to Old Ziva in the blink of an eye and still have an effect on him.

She tilted her head playfully. "Why does it matter, Tony? Have you had a growth spurt?"

Tony chewed the inside of his cheek, knowing he might just be beat. But on a whim, he leant forward, and whispered into her ear:

"Maybe you just need to refresh your memory," and _bolted _up the stairs, two at a time, to join Ray and EJ, leaving Ziva standing by the bookcase, totally speechless.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed :) I loooooved writing this, it was great fun. Don't worry, it will eventually get a little deeper, but for now I'm enjoying playing with the characters a little. Review :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I again apologise for the delay. I find myself having very little time to write at the moment, and I hate waiting as much as you guys do, and I know how annoying it is when an author doesn't update. Anyway, here's your chapter 6 (can you believe it?)**

Ray left the bedrooms until the very last part of the tour. After the gorgeous kitchen (complete with granite counter tops) and bathroom with a "tub big enough to swim in," as EJ put it. The guest bedroom was moderately sized, with two single beds that displayed bright coloured sheets, and a small flatscreen sitting on a table on the other side of the room. Directly across from the entrance there was a big, beautiful window with white curtains on its sides that would catch very first light of the morning sun, they all knew.

"It's lovely," EJ said. "Don't you think so, Tony?"

"Yeah, it's nice," he said, and it was possibly the most genuine-sounding remark he had made since they had arrived, though he said it as he ran his finger along the windowsill, inspecting it for dust. Ray smiled modestly at their approval.

"There's a closet over there," he said, pointing to a white door. "Feel free to put your things in there."

The blonde smiled politely.

"Our room is just next door," he continued. "You can take a look, if you want."

The master bedroom was magnificent. The walls were a gorgeous sea blue, and a king bed sat square in the middle, sheets to match the walls. Opposite them there were French doors to a balcony that overlooked the beach and all its beauty.

"Oh, Ray, it's beautiful," Ziva remarked, and he smiled again, walking in Tony's direction, who was examining a photo of Ray with his arms around a pretty girl, framed on the dresser.

"That's my cousin Jessica," he felt the need to inform the man, and then leant in. "Just letting you know, the rooms share a wall and it's kinda thin so..."

"Got it," Tony nodded. "But, uh, just so you know, I wasn't really planning on it."

Ray smiled, thinking he was joking. From what he had heard from Ziva, he figured Tony was the type of guy who wanted it whenever he could, wherever he could. "Right, right," he said, grinning and tapping the side of his nose. "Me neither."

"Ray, do these rooms share a wall?" they both heard the Israeli ask.

"Yeah," he answered. "I've been meaning to do something about that."

"It's like _Forgetting Sarah Marshall," _Tony said.

"I have that on DVD," Ray said, answering a question nobody really asked.

"Theatre version or uncut?" Tony challenged.

"Both, actually," Ray countered.

"Never saw that movie," EJ said, trying to stop this from blowing up.

"Tony made me sit through it once," Ziva whispered. "Trust me, you can get through life without seeing Jason Segel's...um...business."

"Mm," EJ agreed, only half-listening. This movie thing might be the end of all of them.

...

As a lazy afternoon rolled in, they decided they were all a little tired and that they would leave the beach for tomorrow. EJ, as a thanks to Ray, decided she would make dinner, and Ziva offered to help.

"I saw a convenience store on the way here," she said, her memory sharp as always. "It's just around the corner."

Before Tony or Ray knew it, the girls were gone. They were alone. They stood there, unsure, for a few seconds, but then a little lightbulb went off above Ray's head. "I got it," he said, diving into the nearby storage cupboard and pulling out two rods.

"Whaddaya say we wander down to the pier and catch a few fish?" he offered, holding a rod out to Tony.

"I don't know, man, I'm not much of a fisherman," Tony answered unsurely.

"Come on, we've gotta get something to go with the _salad _ they're planning on making us."

"Let's go," Tony said immediately.


	7. Chapter 7

The car ride to the store was short, there was no need for chit chat, and it was not long enough for things to be awkward between the two women. In fact, they wouldn't have needed to bring Ray's car at all if not for the dinner ingredients they would be bringing back with them.

"Ray's house is lovely," EJ commented as Ziva peered suspiciously at some lettuce.

"Mm," she agreed, though not really paying any attention.

"It's very kind of him to let Tony and I stay," she continued. This time Ziva didn't answer. The store was quiet, almost empty except for a middle-aged man who appeared to be purchasing canned soup in massed quantities, an old couple browsing the different varieties of milk and a pregnant mother with two little kids—a boy and a girl—hanging from her shopping cart excitedly.

"Ziva?" EJ asked, still not getting an answer.

"Hm?" she turned around, as if EJ had not been waiting for a reply.

"Never mind."

Ziva finally chose a lettuce and threw it into her basket and continued to walk along the aisle.

"So how are you things going with you and Tony?" Ziva asked curiously, hoping she wasn't prying. She looked at the other woman, and realised she was notably shorter than her, and Ziva wasn't exactly _tall. _

"Fine, fine," EJ answered, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "Really good, actually."

Ziva smiled, though it felt somehow forced. "I'm glad."

EJ was quiet for a few moments, and then said, "He talks about you, you know. Sometimes."

Ziva raised her eyebrows amusedly. "Really? And what exactly does he say?"

"Oh, nothing really. Old team stories, old cases, stuff like that."

Ziva chewed her lip. This vague information wasn't enough. What had Tony said? Did he talk about their simple day-to-day cases, or did he go more personal? Somalia? Jeanne? Their undercover assignment? Did he talk about Kate? About Jenny, and Ari, and Michelle Lee? Her mind was racing, but this time she decided to keep her mouth shut.

…

The late afternoon sun warmed Tony's skin as he walked with Ray along the beach. There were still people out: a few teens, some surfers, a couple of families, but the pier was empty. The pier was one of Ray's favourite places. He would sometimes have a beer and a fish with his buddies, but they were all away on vacation with their families. Tonight, Tony was his only companion.

They cast their rods into the water, and they heard the tiny, distant _splash _from the sinker. For a few minutes, all was peaceful. No bites, no sounds, just the gentle whisper of the waves as the lapped against the shore and the sun grew lower and lower in the sky.

Then something seized Ray's rod, and he easily reeled in a decent-sized fish. He smiled proudly, and dropped it in the bucket beside him, put some fresh bait on his hook, and cast his line into the water once more.

"Do you know why I invited you here, Tony?" he asked all of a sudden.

"Because without my presence no vacation is complete?" Tony answered sarcastically, but chuckled.

"When Ziva introduced me to the team, you seemed the most…" he searched for the right word.

"Handsome? Talented?" Tony supplied, not taking things seriously as usual.

"Resistant," Ray chose, and Tony's jovial smile faded. "I didn't know whether it was me who was the problem or Ziva."

"I know you're a good guy," Tony said honestly. "You treat her right, when you can. You're what she needs. I'm just protective."

"No kidding," Ray laughed. "Look, I get it. She's your partner; I understand the need to feel protective."

Tony bit the inside of his cheek and nodded, staring down at the dark water. Ray watched him.

"Do you really think of her the way she thinks of you?" Ray asked, and Tony's pulse sped up a little. "As a sibling?"

"I never really thought about it," Tony muttered.

"You seemed disappointed when I told you."

Tony tried to joke. "Look I knew her brother. Not exactly the best guy to be compared to, huh?"

Ray's brows furrowed. "What do you mean you 'knew' him?"

Tony's jaw almost dropped. _He doesn't know about Ari. What about Tali? Rivkin? Somalia?_

"He, uh, he died, six years ago."

"Ziva never told me that," he said, sounding hurt, almost.

"Look, don't take it personally. Ziva's not a very open person and—"

"She told you."

"I've known her for six years. She'll tell you when she's ready."

Ray sighed. "I guess you're right."

"I may not have liked the guy—in fact I hated him—but I gotta thank him in death. If it weren't for him I never would've met Ziva. God knows where I'd be."

"Why'd you hate him so much?" Ray asked, narrowing his eyes in confusion.

"I…It's really not my story to tell…"

"Tony, please," Ray begged. "I just wanna know. I won't mention it to Ziva."

Tony watched his eyes. They were honest. He loved Ziva. It couldn't hurt, could it?

"He infiltrated NCIS in a body bag. After that, he held the ME, his assistant and one of our agents, hostage. We didn't know who he was, but he shot the ME's assistant in the shoulder, took some evidence and got away. It was more than a year before we managed to track down the bastard. Gibbs went nuts over it because…he killed my partner. Her name was Kate. Kate Todd."

"Kate Todd? Didn't she used to work for the Secret Service?" Ray asked, and Tony nodded. "I remember her death. I'm sorry."

"It's OK. These things happen in our line of work. Guess we're the idiots who sign up for it."

"What happened to Ziva's brother?"

"I really shouldn't…"

"_Tony!"_

"He was shot."

"By who?"

Tony tried to speak, but no words would come out of his mouth.

"Who killed Ziva's brother?"

Tony looked down, feeling like he was betraying his partner, and whispered, almost inaudibly, "Ziva."

Ray was stunned. No, more than stunned, absolutely speechless. "Ziva…killed her own brother? Why?"

"He was about to shoot Gibbs. They lied in the report but one night Ziva let it slip. Said she and Gibbs were the only two people who had known about it up till then. Well, now so do you."

"She...she always seemed so sweet-natured. I guess everyone has a dark side."

"Our new Director appointed her as liaison between NCIS and Mossad. She resigned from Mossad two years ago and became and NCIS Agent. Guess she found her place."

Ray smiled. "Tell me Tony, was this man Ziva's only brother, or do they all have stories like this?"

"No more brothers," Tony answered, and they fell back into silence.

In a way, Tony felt like he had an advantage over Ray. Ziva had known him for months, and didn't know about her family. Yet Tony heard Tali's story the very first night they met. It's interesting how things pan out.

**A/N: Not only did you get two updates in one day but this is your longest chapter yet! You are welcome :) Reviews would be greatly appreciated :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: This is turning out to be longer than I expected. Chapter 8 and we're still on the first day of the vacation.**

Dinner that night involved little conversation. Everyone chewed thoughtfully, appreciatively, every now and then acknowledging the good taste with a noise of some sort. EJ sat innocently in her seat, staring at her meal for most of the time, though occasionally looking around the room without making eye contact. Ray did the same, though Ziva and Tony through curious yet accusing glances at one another, desperate to know what the other was thinking, afraid of being caught. But just as everyone somehow simultaneously took their last mouthful of food, they locked eyes. She tried to telepathically contact him: _Play along, OK? I _need _to speak to you._

He seemed to get the message, because when she sweetly offered to do the dishes, Tony immediately offered his assistance, and suggested Ray and EJ go into the living room and pop in a movie.

True to their word, they cleared every last dish from the table and moved it into the kitchen, where Tony was soon armed with a towel and Ziva had her arms elbow deep in hot, soapy water. For a long time, neither said a word; they didn't know how to ask, but they kept catching each other's eye, and both ended up snapping at once.

"What did you say to EJ?" Ziva demanded. "And what did you tell Ray? He's been acting weird ever since I got home?"

"Me?" Tony replied, offended. "At least I tell people things!"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ziva asked, her temper rising.

"What else didn't you tell him? He know you're ex-Mossad, or that your boss was Daddy David? He know you fell in love with the dead man walking? Rivkin? Somalia?"

Suddenly, Tony's mouth switched off. He saw the pain in her eyes with every word he was saying. How could he be so cruel? He almost saw each and every stitch coming undone, and the old wounds opening up.

"Does he know about Paris?" Tony asked softly.

Ziva inhaled and stood up straight. "Paris is not important."

"You telling me it didn't mean anything?"

"That's not what I said," she told him firmly.

"You didn't even tell him about Ari."

Ziva gasped, her chocolate eyes growing wide. "You…you told him about _Ari_?" her voice struggled not to squeak on the last word. It always brought her pain. "Why were you even…discussing him?"

"I…he…uh…"

"Tony!" Ziva warned sternly, and Tony physically backed up a bit, knowing there were knives in the sink.

"He asked me, whether…" he hesitated.

"Whether you what?"

"Whether I thought of you the same way you do me—a sibling," he finally admitted.

Ziva was taken aback. "Sibling?"

"He told me, in DC, that you thought of me like a brother."

"And?" she asked, her eyes pleading for honesty. "What did you say?"

"I just…I said that, uh, he's not the best guy to…be compared to?" he watched her, actually becoming afraid she might physically hurt him soon.

"How much did you tell him?" she asked, almost in a whisper, obviously holding back, a _lot._

Tony didn't answer.

"Tony! How. Much?"

Tony took a deep breath, and squeezed his eyes shut, replying in a tiny voice: "Everything."

…

"What do you think we should watch, EJ?" Ray asked in a gentlemanly manner, peering thoughtfully at the bookcase full of films.

"Meh," she shrugged. "I'm more of a TV person myself. But try something a little more…classic. Maybe then you and Tony won't fight about it."

"OK, then, let's see what's on TV."

…

The next thing Tony felt was a soapy, wet slap across his cheek, the sharp pain almost making him cry out.

"How could you do this to me, Tony?" Ziva demanded, furious. "What I told you, and what I chose not to tell Ray, was _my _business, and most _certainly _not your business to tell anyone. Ever. When I told you, I trusted you. Obviously that was a lapse in judgement."

"You don't trust me, but do you trust him?"

"It doesn't matter—"

"Yes. It does. You told me the day we met the story of your sister's death, like although it hard, you had moved on, and you were comfortable. You've known Ray _months, _he didn't even know you had siblings!"

"Yes but _I _didn't kill Tali! I loved her, and though I know you didn't I loved Ari too," she cried then, real tears. He wanted to hug her, hold her until the pain went away, but she hated him too much. "He thinks I'm a killer, a cold-blooded, heartless murderer! You don't know what that's like for a person. You don't know what it's like to not have a family."

"NCIS, that's your family. And whether you like it or not—", he held her face in one hand. "You're my family too, Ziva."

She closed her eyes to block the tears, reliving painful memories as hard as ever, no matter how many years—and deaths—have been since then.

"Hey! How long you two gonna be in there? Movie's starting in two minutes!" Ray called from the living room.

"I can't even look at you right now," she whispered into his hand, turning and walking away from him.

"Ziva," he called desperately. She stopped, but she didn't turn around.

"I'm s—"

"I don't want to hear it, Tony. Not now." She paused, turning her head over her shoulder just a little. "Maybe not ever."

…

**A/N: Man, that was depressing. Reviews are welcome/awesome!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: This story is turning out different than I expected, but I still sort of know where I'm going with it. Idk, we'll see what happens.**

At breakfast the next morning the tension was so thick you could slice it with the knife that Ziva was currently applying butter to toast with, so hard that it was crumbling under her grip. She stood over the counter of the kitchen, looking out the window at a few seagulls. She heard footsteps brushing against the linoleum floor, but did not move, and as soon as she felt warm arms around her torso, she knew who it was.

"Morning," Ray mumbled into her neck, placing kisses along her jawline. She turned in his arms and offered him a half-hearted smile. She was still upset with Tony, but happy to see Ray, and gladly returned the sweet kiss he planted on her lips. He had a way of comforting her, and he would always listen. That was one of her favourite things about him. She believed that he was sorry about what happened during the Port-to-Port killer case.

"Don't look now but we've got company," Ziva whispered as EJ entered the kitchen.

"Good morning, you two," she said in a chirpy tone.

Ray smiled and Ziva gave her a friendly greeting, before returning, less angrily, to her toast.

"Where's Tony?" Ray asked EJ, sitting down at the table and biting into an apple, and Ziva's shoulders tensed.

"He's taking a shower," she answered.

"DiNozzo present," Tony announced, arriving into the kitchen. Ziva may still have been mad at him and he knew it, but she was glad he wasn't making a fuss of it. Better they keep it between them (at least until they sorted things out) or risk ruining the vacation for everyone.

Ziva had been up first, for lack of sleep overnight, and was still in her pyjamas.

"I'm going to change and go for a run," she stated, and left the room.

…

Ziva tied and re-tied her shoelaces, not even sure what she was procrastinating. She looked up and saw Ray leaning against the door frame.

"Is everything OK?" he asked, concernedly. "You seem tense."

"I need to run," she answered, trying to walk past him.

"Hey," he caught her arm. "Me and EJ and Tony were gonna head down to the beach soon. You sure you don't wanna come?"

"Positive."

He hesitated. "You know you can tell me anything."

She wondered if he was hinting at what Tony had told him, but let him pull her close, and give her a little kiss. "I love you, you know that?" His thumb brushed her cheek.

She said nothing, but let herself be held for a few precious moments, then walked briskly towards the stairs, where she passed Tony. They locked eyes. He grabbed her arm.

"Ziva, wait. Can you at least talk to me? Let me apologise," Tony said softly, knowing Ray was within earshot.

"I don't want to hear it, Tony," she replied, and stormed off.

"You hear that?" Ray asked.

Tony shrugged. "May have."

"You gonna try and kill me now?"

"Nah," he replied. "You know how I feel, but truth is, if you hurt her, I'm not gonna be the one that'll kill ya."

Ray chuckled but stuffed his hands into the pockets of his shorts.

"She didn't say it back?"

Ray shook his head, a little sadly.

"She will," Tony said kindly. "She just needs time."

Ray agreed and slunk down the stairs, while Tony sauntered out onto the balcony.

"Ziva!" he yelled to his partner, who was walking down the driveway. She turned around, but no words left her mouth. "I'm sorry for what I did to you. I know I shouldn't have but—"

"No 'but's, Tony," she finally replied, hands folded over her chest. "Did you think cheap words might not be enough this time?"

"You're right, OK? Actions speak louder than words but what do you want me to do? Shout out my secrets to the world?"

She did not argue. "I'm listening."

"Fine. I'm afraid of commitment!" he shouted.

"That's not a secret; I knew that the first time I met you!"

At the sound of all the yelling, the other two house guests came outside, though stayed away from the very scary looking Ziva, who turned to leave again once in the view of the others.

"I still blame myself for Jenny's death!" he called, not wanting this to end here. "And Kate's, for that matter. I've spent more nights in Gibbs' basement over them than I can count."

Ziva stopped walking. It was working. He had to keep spilling his feelings.

"It kills me that Gibbs treats me like a child, because all I ever search for is his approval. He's the only man I ever considered a father."

"Beach?" EJ offered, knowing they should leave.

"Yeah," Ray quickly agreed, and they dashed toward the shore.

"So you have father issues, big deal," she shouted to him, her back still turned.

"You want a real secret?" he screamed. "Fine, I'll give you a real secret: the only reason I came on this _stupid _vacation was to see if CI-Ray was the real deal. If you were gonna give your heart to someone I had to make sure they were gonna look after it."

With that she started running. She ran and ran until she could run no further, until she was lost and tried to find her way back. Tony waited for her, on the balcony.

Worst vacation ever.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thanks for all your lovely reviews! I can't believe we're at ten chapters. This took a lot of tweaking and I'm still not as happy as I usually am; I might have a small case of writer's block. Oh well. I've updated all the same. **

It felt like hours before she finally approached the house again. Tony was still on the balcony, seated on its floor, gazing up at the sky. The day's sunny promise had faded, and a light drizzle was falling from the clouds. She had run until her feet refused to hold, until she thought she was lost. But it was only then she realised she could not outrun her problems. She had to face them, before they caught up to her.

Tony was only awoken from his melancholy state by the sound of the door opening, but turned his head away after a second. Ziva tiptoed over to him and sat beside him, her warm body heating his.

"Enjoy your run?" he asked in an 'avoid the elephant in the room' kind of way, typical of their conversations.

"Actually I did," she answered, wishing he would look at her. "I thought about things."

He sighed. "I just hope you know how sorry I am," he told her, very sincerely, and a tiny smile graced her flushed face.

"It is alright, Tony. I do not believe that you would have even…_mentioned _my half-brother, if you did not believe I trusted Ray enough that I would tell him." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "And I truly think Ray could give even Gibbs a run for his money in the interrogation room."

Tony was silent, but he turned his head, and his glowing green eyes were what she had wanted to see.

"I overreacted," she said, apologetically.

"No you didn't," Tony replied, gazing at the spot where the sun barely showed through the rainclouds. "I was a lousy partner."

"You could never be," she assured him. "Not if you were willing to come all this way to, uh, check up on Ray and I."

He smiled thankfully.

"You know, today, he told me that he loved me," she confessed.

Aware that eavesdropping might set them back a lot, he pretended this was new information. "And?"

"That's it."

"You say it back?"

She shook her head. "I care for him very much, Tony," she said.

"But?"

"But…I just don't know if I love him yet," she said.

"Trouble in bed?" he joked without thinking. She gave him a glare. "I'll take that as a yes."

Why was he doing this? The minute things turn serious he runs away from it. It frustrated Ziva to no end.

"You're a pig," she accused.

"Look, I'm sorry, I just hate to see you so upset—"

"I came to you for redemption, for comfort and you just…make jokes! Does the word 'sorry' even mean anything to you? Or is it just a phrase you use to get yourself out of trouble?" She stood up in anger, and he quickly did the same.

"Ziva, hey, I…" He tried to calm her, running the back of his fingers along his cheek, but she turned away, her back to him.

"I think I love him, and I think I've finally found someone, but then I think of you…" she whispered the last part. "And I wonder if you could ever accept it, or if…"

"If what?"

"If I'm just making excuses to not give myself to someone else," she said, turning around again, her eyes cutting like daggers into his.

"Where's all this coming from?" he asked.

"Nowhere. I just worry sometimes, that things might…repeat previous events."

He knew in a second she was talking about Michael Rivkin.

"I wouldn't, not ever. That I _promise _you, Ziva." The truth in his voice rang clear through his words. The pain, suffering and loss it had caused _both _of them had been far, far too great to have to relive. Ever.

Tiredly, she rubbed her brown eyes. "I do not want to fight any more. I am tired of this, aren't you?"

"Yeah," he agreed. "Are we OK?"

She grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "We will be."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Sorry for not updating, I've been a little busy :S (oh and it took me like 5 minutes to figure out what the American term for 'eski' was. That's what I get for being an Aussie, I guess. PS, it's 'cooler'.)**

The clouds in the sky and the growing chill of the wind did nothing to stop Ray from enjoying himself in the surf. The turn of the weather had brought big, strong waves, and he found his surfing skills had not faltered over time. It had been a few months, what with work, and seeing Ziva, but being back in the water felt good. He hadn't had so much fun in a while.

When he was just about exhausted from being tumbled and twisted around in the waves, he jogged back to the spot that he and EJ had secured that morning.

"Well, well, Agent Cruz," she said, looking at him over the top of her sunglasses. "You're quite the surfer dude."

"What can I say, I'm a man of many hidden talents," he replied as he pulled two beers from his cooler and handed one to EJ. "So what exactly are you trying to do here?" he said, referring to her thin, pale, bikini-clad body stretched out on a towel. "Tanning?"

"Very funny," she said, pulling one of Tony's old T-shirts over her head, that she had brought with her.

"You didn't have to do that," he protested, pulling his sun shirt over his head. "See, I'm not."

She laughed, tossing her hair to remove the sand. "I don't know what Ziva would say about that.

"Any sign of her?" he asked, a concerned expression forming from his calm one.

"No. I haven't seen Tony either, and I didn't bring my cell phone."

Thoughtfully, Ray brought one hand to the back of his head and scratched his hair. Then, spotting something in the distance, he squinted, and EJ turned around to see what it was that he was looking at. On cue, with picnic basket in hand, they trudged onto the nearly deserted beach.

"Where have you guys been?" EJ called.

"Just…had to sort some stuff out. It's OK now," Tony answered, and EJ seemed to get the hint that it was not something that needed to be talked about, at least not right now.

"You brought lunch," Ray said to Ziva, who was carrying a basket.

"Well…" she looked down, pulled out a large packet of Doritos.

Ray let out a chuckle, and kissed Ziva on the cheek, then sat on his towel.

"It is a shame about the weather," Ziva said, setting down her own towel on the sand, between Ray and EJ, Tony opposite her and doing the same.

"Obviously didn't stop Ray from swimming," Tony commented.

"Surfing, actually," he said, taking a bite of the cheesy snack.

"You surf?" Ziva asked, surprised she hadn't heard about this.

"He's pretty good, actually," EJ said, her mouth full.

Pretty soon, the four of them had finished off the Doritos, and Tony was the first to jump up onto his feet and brush off the sand. "Come on, let's go for a dip."

EJ gazed sceptically at the waves, which were growing a little violent for her liking. "Doesn't look like it would be much of a 'dip', Tony," she argued.

"Where's your sense of adventure?" Ray laughed, getting up. "What about you, Ziva?"

"I think I'll just stay put," she said.

"Well, come on, Tony, before the weather really gets bad," Ray said, and together they jogged into the surf, though came rushing back five minutes later.

"_Man, _that's cold!" Tony shouted.

The two women smirked contentedly.

"Well, weatherman says tomorrow's going to be better, but there's gonna be a storm tonight," EJ informed them.

Ray wiped his face with his towel. "Movie night sound good?"

They all nodded.

"I'll grill us up a couple steaks, too. Is there any salad left over from last night?"

"No," Ziva said.

"I'll go pick us up some more," EJ offered.

"Don't worry EJ," Ziva said. "You came with me last night. I'm sure Tony won't mind picking up a bit of slack."

Admittedly, Tony hadn't really done any work since they had arrived, so it was fair that he had been called upon but he still groaned.

…

"Do you think we should get beetroot?" Ziva asked, deliberately stretching out the 'shopping experience' for Tony and having fun doing it.

"I don't care! Just buy some freaking vegetables and let's get outta here!" he said, frustrated.

She smirked and picked up a can, but accidentally knocking another onto the floor. She bent down to pick it up, and through the bottom of the shelves she saw a pair of large black combat boots. She frowned a little, but shrugged it off. Though her curiosity got the better of her, and she walked around shelf into the next aisle just in time to see two bunches of black hair fly around the corner.

"Ziva? What are you doing?"

"I know those pigtails."

**A/N: I had to do it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: hey so I know I've gone a little AWOL recently that's just the schoolwork kicking in. But, good news, I'm on holidays for two weeks with not that much to do, so hello fanfiction! Oh and hey, we reached 100 reviews! Yay for that! THANKYOU :)**

"_I know those pigtails."_

The words that came out of Ziva's mouth seemed mumbled and incoherent to Tony's ears. All that he saw was Ziva morph into ninja mode and shoot around the corner of an aisle.

He stood there, frozen in shock and confusion. "What the hell?" he asked himself and, placing their basket on the ground, ran after Ziva.

"Ziva! _Ziva!" _he called, chasing her.

She stopped in her tracks and turned around, sharply. "_What?" _she hissed.

"What the hell are ya doin'? Are you crazy?"

"No, and never mind that, where is our basket?" she snapped back.

"Who cares about the basket? You just raced through the frozen foods section and left me there. I lost interest in the stupid vegetables about four varieties of lettuce ago!"

Suddenly, they both heard a voice other than their own, coming from right next to them.

"Well, well, well, fancy seeing you two here," it said.

"Not now McGee," they both snapped in unison, and then both did a double take. "McGee?"

"That was cool, how did you manage to synchronise the head movements?" he asked smugly, taking amusement in the fact that Tony had been enough of a sucker to actually go on this trip.

Tony took two big strides towards his male co-worker. "What are you doing here, McGrinch?" he snarled.

"Tony, it's not Christmas—"

"Yeah, well you're ruining my holidays so it's good enough for me."

"Oh, is that right? Because from what I can see it's pretty much ruined itself.

Tony glared into McGee's eyes.

"Or maybe it is doing you some good. You and Ziva don't usually get along this well."

Just as Tony was about to lay a threat on McGee, they heard yet another familiar voice from the other end of the aisle.

"Ziva! Tony!"

A pale figure in black came running up to them, and seized Ziva in a hug first, and then DiNozzo, of course.

"Abs – can't – breathe," Tony struggled out.

"Told you I wasn't crazy," Ziva bragged.

Tony gasped for air as he was released from Abby's surprisingly strong grip, and rubbed his neck. Ziva sent an amused smirk his way, and he pouted like a little child.

"What are you guys doing here?" Abby asked.

"I could ask the same to you," Tony replied, coughing from his still struggling airway. "And McGoo." At the mention of one of his many irritating nicknames, McGee sneered.

"Well that's easy. Suicide Commando was playing a concert here in Miami, and I convinced McGee to come with me."

"Wait, you convinced McGee to come with you to see a concert?" Ziva asked, not quite sure she was correct in her thinking.

"Yup," she grinned.

"How'd she do it?" Tony whispered discreetly to McGee.

"She used to date the drummer, Andre. Told me I had to pretend to be her boyfriend so he wouldn't get any ideas," whispered back.

Tony chuckled. "Ah probie," he said, slapping his fellow agent on the back. "What you won't do for that girl astounds me." McGee just rolled his eyes.

"So, what's your duty here in Miami, Tony?" Abby asked.

"Ziva, EJ and CI-Ray and I are…on vacation," he replied, in the most dignified manner possible.

"Right," Abby answered unsurely. "And where are they?"

"EJ and Ray are at Ray's beach house," Ziva answered for her partner, walking over to his side. "Which is where _we _will be going as soon as we are, uh, done here."

"Well, don't let us keep you; we have to go anyway. But we should catch up while we're here. I'll call you tomorrow, Ziva," Abby said, and then looped her arm around Tim's and walked off.

"So anyway, I think we should go look at the salad dressings—"

Ziva was cut off by Tony's finger placed over her lips.

"Listen, David, we are _done _with vegetables."

…

When they arrived home, EJ and Ray were on the sofa watching a movie.

"You're watching _Quantum of Solace _without me?" Tony asked feeling sad.

"You're coming home without dinner?" EJ replied back, mocking his hurt tone.

He threw a packet of M&Ms at her, and flopped down onto the couch. Ziva followed, sitting down gracefully.

"OK I knew you two were dysfunctional but—"

"Pizza's on the way."

…

When the film concluded and the four were surrounded by empty pizza boxes, Ray rose from his seat to clean up.

"I'll do it, Ray," Ziva offered, picking up boxes.

A little too tired and full to protest, he kissed her on the cheek and headed upstairs to bed.

Tony sighed. "I'll help."

"Do you want a third pair of hands?" EJ offered.

"Nah, we're fine," Tony replied, so EJ left with a simple wave.

"No kiss for you, then?" Ziva asked.

"Just because there was no kiss, doesn't mean any doors have been closed," he replied.

"Well I will close them if you do not. That wall is thin, you know, and I am a light sleeper." Ziva shoved the empty boxes into Ray's garbage and brushed off her hands.

"Yeah, when you're not snoring like a drunken sailor," Tony said, leaning against the countertop.

She turned the kettle on, adding a spoonful of sugar to an empty mug, making herself some tea. "I do not snore," she defended.

"Yeah, and Willy Wonka doesn't own a chocolate factory."

Ziva turned around. "Who?"

He shook his head. "Forget it." Then he remembered what McGee had told him earlier, at the store. "Hey, did you know Abby conned McGee into coming here with her by letting him pretend to be her girlfriend?"

Ziva laughed. "What he wouldn't do for her."

"That's what I said."

They heard a whistle, and Ziva poured the boiling water, followed by some milk, into her cup. Lifting it to her lips, she blew across the top, and took a small sip.

"They're so oblivious," Tony stated.

"I know. How can two people be that unobservant to miss the fact that they both clearly have feelings for each other?"

"It's so obvious."

"Everyone else can see it but them."

There was an awkward air about them for a few seconds, as they looked into each other's eyes from across the kitchen. When they did speak, they spoke in unison.

"Goodnight."

**A/N: Well, there you are. Hope you enjoyed :) Please review, I've loved reading them.**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: OK after a failure from Microsoft word (surprise, surprise) I'm retyping this chapter. *sigh* Thank you for all your lovely reviews/feedback and I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

Ziva watched the digital alarm clock beside her flash for what felt like days. She had waited for the sun to come up, but it seemed like it never would. She was only given a grey sky, its usual blue iced with sad, grey clouds. She had been awake for hours, refusing to let herself sleep, and for a good reason too.

Every so often, sometimes for no good reason, her sleep would be plagued with nightmares, forcing her to relive the worst moments of her life, and it always ended up in Somalia, under the threat of Saleem Ullman's knife. It seemed so clear, like she was there: she smelled sweat and blood, and felt the sharp blade sting her skin. She could see the fire in Saleem's eyes, hot enough to burn down her hopes, her dreams and even her ferocious spirit. In her dream she would wait, wait for help, pray for rescue, beg God for a sign that she would ever escape this horror, and there would never be one.

She remembered the first time she had had this dream.

_September 25__th__, 2009_

_Upon her wakening, the first thing she remembered was hearing someone scream. It was deafening, ear-splitting. Then, she realised it was her, and the pain hit. She was drenched in sweat, and her now white knuckles hurt from gripping her sheets so hard. Tears streamed down her face and her throat ached. She felt sick to her stomach, and disoriented. She didn't know where she was, but before she could figure it out, a man was beside her. She tried to push him away, tried to stand, but fell into his arms. _

_She was frail, weak. She was not herself._

_The man lifted her onto the bed and pulled the sheet over her once more. He left her, but only for a moment, and returned with a wet rag to place over her forehead, and a glass of water. He touched her cheek and slowly crept out. _

"_Thank you, Gibbs," she whispered with all the strength she could muster, before falling into a deep sleep once more. _

…

Ziva had had the dream many times since, though this was the very first time she had had it around Ray. She had looked over at him when she awoke, but he was fast asleep, so she had not stirred. It was a good thing, because he would have worried.

Careful not to wake him, she tiptoed out of the room and down the stairs in her pyjamas, which were simply white shorts and a tank top. Despite the gathering rainclouds, the day was not cold. She entered the kitchen, and started making herself some coffee. She was up now, may as well get a jump on the day.

A few minutes later, holding the hot beverage in her hands, she padded into the living room, and was surprised to discover she was not alone. She decided not to pry, because whatever reason brought him down here, he probably did not want to talk about, but took a seat right next to him.

"You do realise that is yesterday's newspaper," she told Tony gently.

Tony sighed. "Better late than never," he said seriously, and turned the page.

It was then she knew he wasn't OK. There was no humour in his voice, no tone, no light. Perhaps this was more serious than she thought.

"So, what're you doing down here?" he asked her, beating her to the question and probably knowing it.

"Couldn't sleep," she answered, taking a sip of her coffee.

He folded his paper and placed it on the ground beside him. "Bad dream?"

She gave a tiny nod, twisting on her Star of David necklace. He understood. After all, he had been there too.

_September 25__th__, 2009_

_This pale, weak, frail body in front of him was not one he knew. This girl who screamed and cried in her sleep, plagued by terror and horrible memories – this was not his Zee-vah. _

_It was odd – funny, in a sort of dark way – that he could look into the eyes of death, be cut by a blade or shot with a bullet, save a life or kill a man, all without a sliver of fear. But this, seeing Ziva David, Mossad Ninja Extraordinaire, looking like she could break from a simple touch, absolutely terrified him. _

_He could only watch in horror as Gibbs helped her fragile body up from the floor. He was too scared to move, too scared to break her._

_When she finally settled, Gibbs whispered in his ear._

"_Get some sleep, DiNozzo."_

"_Don't think I can, boss," he replied shakily, never taking his eyes off her sleeping form._

"_Then you watch her." The younger agent opened his mouth to protest, but Gibbs interrupted. "She needs you. And you need to know that you need her too. So you watch her, got it?"_

"_Got it, Boss."_

_She didn't stir again that night, and Tony fought sleep to watch her. He thought about everything that had happened over the past four months. Hell, he must have thought about everything over the past four years. By the end of it, he only knew one thing._

"_I'm so sorry, Ziva."_

…

Now, the look in her eyes said it all.

"So," she said, breaking the silence and the tension, eager to move the subject away from her. "What has you down here on this…" She looked out the window, where rain was starting to fall, "…fine morning?"

"Couldn't sleep," he answered, same as her. "I was thinking."

"About?"

He rubbed his forehead. "It's…it's nothin', really, I…" he stammered. "Just thinking about what you said last night, no goodnight kiss?"

"Do not read into it too much, Tony, I was only—"

"I know but it just has me thinking. I don't even know what EJ and I have," he admitted.

"You said you liked her; you understand her. You said it was working," Ziva assisted, trying to help his negativity.

"I just don't have strong feelings for her."

"Then end it," Ziva said, feeling agreeing with him might be the only way to get anywhere.

"But part of me doesn't want to. She's addictive."

"Then stay together."

"But—"

"Tony," Ziva snapped. "Look, personally, I did not understand why things were working so well between you two. You are both very…opinionated, and I thought you would fight. But clearly that is not the case, and clearly you are happy. So what is the problem?"

"I…I guess I'm just looking for a change of pace. This is the longest relationship with a woman I've had since…" He stopped. They both knew what he was talking about. "I don't wanna end up alone, Ziva. I don't wanna end up like Gibbs or my father." He shuddered at the very thought. "I haven't forgotten what it feels like to love somebody; I just don't feel it for her. But I really like her. I've got no freaking idea what to do."

She placed a hand on his knee. "I think you should do what your heart tells you. Sometimes it makes better decisions that your head."

Silence filled the room as the gentle sound of raindrops was all they could hear.

"You know what?" Ziva said in a brighter voice, standing up. "Let's go for a run."

"Now?" Tony asked, bewildered. "Ziva, it's raining. And five twenty in the morning."

"So? I love to run in the rain. It clears my head; helps me think straight."

He considered this for a moment. "I'm in."

In less than five minutes both were in sweats and T-shirts and ready to charge out the back door onto the beach.

"How far would you like to go?" Ziva asked Tony, who was tying his laces.

"I don't care. As long it takes for me to make up my mind."

And so it was. They ran through the rain, the sand, and even the surf. They pulled ahead of each other every so often, but mostly stayed together. They lost track of the time, and the thunder ahead only made them want to run farther. But eventually, Tony collapsed onto the wet sand, right near the water, panting. The little waves washed over him, cooling his body. The rain helped, too. Ziva followed, and took the place next to him on the sand. For a few precious minutes, they were silent, and looked out at the heaving grey waves, speckled by raindrops.

Tony lay back in the sand, his breathing finally slowing. Ziva did the same, digging into the sand either side of her with her fingers.

"So, have you made a decision?" she asked, louder than she would have liked it to be, but with no choice because of the noise of the waves and the sound of rain.

"I guess I didn't tell you the whole story before," he confessed, turning his head to watch her eyes. He swallowed. "You like _The Sound of Music, _right?"

She smiled at him. "It's my favourite movie."

"OK, well, minus the seven kids, I feel like I'm Captain Von Trapp. Caught between being with a woman he knows he should love and…loving a woman he knows he shouldn't."

There was no way to gauge Ziva's reaction. Her chest rose and fell with each breath of air, and her eyes never changed. But inside, she felt her heart speed up.

Ever so gently, he rolled onto his side, placed a hand on her wet cheek, and kissed her lips tenderly. He remembered the last time he kissed her, but it was different now. They were both different now. She leaned into his touch and responded with passion, reaching her arms around him, one hand in his hair, and the other intertwined with his fingers. They knew it was wrong, but neither could stand to pull away from the other.

It was under the touch of her lips that Tony realised something: he had made his decision long before they even stepped foot out that door, he just hadn't realised it.

…

**A/N: I hope you liked that! I just need you to answer one question for me. In the next chapter, would you prefer if:  
>a) I write some kind of love scene between Tony and Ziva, continuing from this point<br>OR  
>b) skip to the reprocussions.<br>Majority rules. Please review :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: WOW! I can't believe the response for the last chapter, and thanks to all of you who voted. The majority wanted a love scene, so here. I did the best I could to comply with both your wishes and the plot. Please tell me how I did. Being fourteen, love scenes are sort of my blind spot. I would say it's PG-rated-ish.  
>It was also tricky to keep them in character but I did my best. Lastly, a super special thankyou to Ellen100 for such a kind review. Seriously, xox. <strong>

_Last Time…_

_Ever so gently, he rolled onto his side, placed a hand on her wet cheek, and kissed her lips tenderly. He remembered the last time he kissed her, but it was different now. They were both different now. She leaned into his touch and responded with passion, reaching her arms around him, one hand in his hair, and the other intertwined with his fingers. They knew it was wrong, but neither could stand to pull away from the other. _

…

His hand broke free from hers and found its way to her hip, where it dared to touch the smooth, golden skin underneath her T-shirt. Ziva's free hand did just the same, but made its way upwards, fingering Tony's chest hair. In one sudden movement, he pulled her on top of him. They clung to each other, their bodies being the only heat source within miles. He stroked her cheek lovingly. Her soaking wet hair dangled around him, ticking his cheeks with each touch. Their lips never broke apart, not once. His entire body felt like it would explode with pleasure. Her lips tasted sweet, and yet salty from the icy water surrounding them. Her skin was soft, and he just wanted to touch it. Everything about her only made him want to be closer, closer to her than was physically possible.

Only when oxygen was absolutely necessary did they let go. Tony's green eyes watched her, and ran a hand through her dripping hair.

"You are perfect," he whispered, and went to kiss her again, but when he did, she sat up straight, and put a hand to his chest, eyes shut tight.

"No," she said, so quiet it could barely be heard. But Tony heard it, and instantly he felt like a dagger had just ripped through his insides.

"No?"

"We can't. I…I don't want to hurt Ray…"

"It's a little late for that, isn't it?" Tony replied, sounding a little angry.

"Tony, do not be upset—"

"Well what if I am? If you had just pushed me away I would've just forgotten it. But you didn't. You led me on."

"Look, I know I shouldn't have done that but what did you expect was going to happen?" Ziva asked, standing up. "What were you planning to do, make love to me in the sand as the waves washed over us and the rain poured from the sky?" She held her hands out, begging for an answer.

"Something like that," Tony muttered.

"You did not think this through," she said, a strong tone of accusation in her voice.

"You're right," Tony snapped, getting to his feet. "I didn't. It's called being spontaneous. Taking a risk."

"Don't talk to me about taking risks, DiNozzo," Ziva warned, a finger to his chest. "This was not a risk. This was not spontaneity. It was recklessness."

"I bet the old you would have liked that."

"Well I am sorry you prefer the person I used to be!" she shouted in his face. "I am sorry you prefer to have a heartless, cold-blooded killer as your partner rather than me. Because that girl and I are not the same person." She ran from him then. She sprinted up the beach, faster than her tired body would allow. She didn't know what else to do. She just knew she had to run.

But Tony was faster.

She felt him grab her arm and tried to fight him, but he was strong, and she was exhausted. She had to give in.

"Ziva, just listen to me," he pleaded. He sounded so honest, so genuine, hardly like Tony at all. She stopped fighting him, and looked into his eyes.

"I don't prefer the old you. Sure, she was great but you…you're the one I fell for." He tried to reach for her, just to hold her again but she stepped back.

"I don't want to hurt Ray," she said, repeating her earlier statement.

"He's married to his work. CIA takes first priority. What were you gonna do, move to Chicago with him at the end of the summer?"

Her lips parted, shivering a little in the cold. A strong wind swept against them. But she did not answer him.

"I can't believe you!" Tony accused. "You're giving up everything you've worked so hard for, for _him_?"

"It is not what you think."

…

_The night before…_

Ray was not asleep when she had arrived in the bedroom, and she gladly climbed into his arms. She loved falling asleep while he was holding her, listening to the beating of his heart, feeling each breath he took.

"I am going to miss you when you move to Chicago," she said sadly. "Is there any way you could…not go, and stay with me?"

"You know I can't do that," Ray replied apologetically, kissing her forehead.

"I am tired of this, Ray. I don't want to have to catch a plane every time I want to see you," she demanded, sitting up a little to look at him.

"It's my job. I have no choice," he said, trying to settle her.

"I just wish it were different," she sighed.

"You could always come with me."

Ziva froze. "What?"

"Why not? We could be together all the time, get a place. We could settle down, Ziva. You want that, don't you?"

"Yes, but…"

"Look, don't worry about. Just go to sleep. We'll talk about it in the morning," Ray told her soothingly, rubbing her forearm before she drifted into sleep in his arms.

…

"Guess you didn't talk about it," Tony stated needlessly.

"I have a choice to make. Go to Chicago with Ray or…"

"Stay," Tony finished.

"Exactly."

"No, I mean _stay. _You can't just drop everything for him. Think about all you've been through with NCIS. Would you really give that up for some guy?"

"Ray is not just 'some guy'."

"Yeah, well neither am I."

It stunned her how serious he was. She folded her arms over her chest, and tried to look like she had an idea what to do. Inside, she was frightened. Whatever this decision was, she was going to have to make it soon, and if she made the wrong choice, she would be left with nothing but what ifs for the rest of her life. "OK. Say I do stay. Where does that leave us?"

Tony took one more careful step towards her. He was as close to her now as they could be without touching. He squeezed her hand. "We give this thing a shot?"

"What about Gibbs?"

"What _about _him?" Tony asked, frankly, a little lost in her eyes at the moment.

"Rule Number 12. You know that."

"Yes, but Rule Number 1 is the most important."

She frowned. "Never let suspects sit together?"

"The other Rule Number 1. Never screw over your partner. And by denying you this—" he pointed to his face, "—among other things, I'm pretty sure I would be breaking that rule."

She laughed a little then, looking up at him. "Something tells me this is a terrible idea, Tony," she said softly.

"Me too," he said, smiling. "But you know what?"

"What?" she asked.

"Only makes me want to do it more."

In that moment, a volcano of passion erupted between them, and Ziva practically leapt into his arms, their lips crashing together like the waves of the sea. He held her tight, tighter than before, in fear that he was imagining this whole thing. But he knew he wasn't. Nothing imaginary could feel _this real. _

Again, their hands got the better of them, and they began to explore each other.

"Wait," Tony whispered, breaking their kiss. "Not here. It has to be perfect. We have to do it right. In a room, with a bed."

"I agree. As, uh, romantic as this beach setting is, I am _freezing._"

He smiled and pulled her into a hug. It was the most amazing feeling, knowing he had finally stopped lying to himself, and that here he was, holding Ziva in his arms.

"Tony," she said, her voice muffled by her mouth against his skin. She looked up and lifted one hand to his cheek. "I love you, OK?"

"I love you too, Ziva," he said, grinning wider than she'd ever seen him. He leant forward, and she hoped for a kiss, but instead he whispered into her ear:

"Last one back to the house is on the bottom," and shot off along the beach.

Ziva laughed loudly and sprinted behind him, grinning all the way.

What the hell had she gotten herself into?

…

**A/N: That was surprisingly difficult. I will get to more repercussions in the next chapter. Sorry for the very few who didn't want a love chapter, it sort of had to happen. Reviews are the best love you all :) xxxxx**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hello! I'm very sorry for the wait, but I have loved reading all your lovely reviews! It means so much that you are enjoying this story.**

EJ strolled out onto the back porch and leant against the railing. The cover above her just barely shielded her from the drenching rain. She felt tiny drops splash onto her cheeks, but didn't mind the cool. EJ watched the clouded sky, and the crashing waves, their sounds a lullaby to her. The beach was so empty this summer morn, and it was a beautiful sight. Almost made her forget that Tony and Ziva had been missing for hours.

It was the moment she remembered their absence that she noticed two small figures racing along the beach. It couldn't be, could it?

Banishing thoughts of the rain, she descended the wooden stairs onto the sand as the figures came closer. Apparently, it could.

Both of them were soaked to the skin, their sweats and T-shirts dripping, their faces were flushed and they were both panting heavily.

"I win," Tony wheezed.

"Not true," Ziva argued breathlessly. "Look at our footprints, they're practically aligned. Besides, whatever happened to ladies first?"

"Since when does your gender matter?"

She chose that moment to give him the infamous 'elevator eyes'. "Don't you mean 'sex', Tony?"

If it were possible, his heart sped up. Before he could even begin to think of a witty comeback, a blonde-haired body approached them, arms folded over her chest, eyes slits, jaw clenched. She was angry alright.

"Hey…EJ…" Tony panted, with neither Ziva's comments nor her satisfied grin helping to slow his heart rate to an appropriate speed.

"Where have you two been?" she asked. "You've been gone for two hours!"

Tony screwed his face up the tiniest bit. She was acting like a controlling mother to them. "We…uh…"

"We went for a run," Ziva answered confidently. "In the rain."

"Why?" EJ asked, already looking like she thought they were total idiots which, in hindsight, they probably were.

"I couldn't sleep so I came downstairs and Tony was there. He couldn't seem to sleep either, so I suggested we go for a run."

"Well, let us know next time, OK?" EJ demanded grumpily. "Ray and I have been wondering where the hell you were for two hours."

_Two Hours Earlier_

EJ sighed in her sleep, rolling over in the white sheets. Slowly, her eyes opened to find only an empty space where Tony's body should have been, and an alarm clock flashing '5:30' at her. Propping herself up with one arm, she rubbed her eyes with the other, and ran her fingers through her hair. Where could he be so early?

Carefully, she slid out of bed and tiptoed down the hall. Unfortunately, right outside the next room, the floor creaked below her. She heard a tired groan from inside.

"Ziva?" Ray's voice asked. "Is that you?"

"Sorry Ray, it's just me," she apologized softly. "Tony isn't here either."

EJ stood at the doorway as Ray sat up sharply. "Where the hell did they go?"

"I don't know," she said, slowly making her way into the room. She fiddled with her fingers and bit her lip, trying not to stare at Ray's toned, tanned, bare chest. She realised then that she wasn't really wearing all that much either, with black silk short shorts and one of Tony's T-shirts.

He sighed, appearing not to notice her discomfort. "I worry about those two sometimes."

"So do I," EJ confessed. "I mean, they're practically joined at the hip at work, only apart when they have to be."

"Ziva says people mistake them for a couple all the time. Why would she tell me that anyway?"

"Maybe she's just trying to be honest with you," EJ supplied, sitting on the bed. "You don't think they ever…you know."

"What? No. They couldn't. They wouldn't," he stammered. "Would they?"

"It does seem likely."

"Could we ask them?"

"That wouldn't be weird," EJ said sarcastically. "I've tried hinting it to Tony before, but he either doesn't get it or changes the subject."

"Wouldn't that mean he's got something to hide?"

"We should stop. Tony and Ziva aren't suspects, she's your girlfriend, and he's my boyfriend. We should be able to trust them, right?"

"I trust Ziva," Ray said.

"You don't trust Tony?"

"No, I think he doesn't trust me."

"Why did you invite us, then?"

"I needed Tony to warm up to me if I am going to be a bigger part of Ziva's life. I intend on staying by her, but I know he does too. And I _do _trust you, EJ."

She smiled. "Maybe you're right. Maybe we could just ask them, over dinner or something."

"Can't. They're having dinner with Abby and McGee tonight."

"Then we'll all go," she suggested.

Ray considered this for a moment and then nodded. "If they won't tell us, Abby and McGee will."

"Good. Now if you'll excuse me I'd like to get out of your bedroom in case they show up and we get caught."

"Talking about them?"

EJ turned as she walked out the door. "I was gonna say sitting on your bed wearing barely anything but yours works."

…

Of course, EJ wouldn't admit it had been quite nice spending time with Ray while they were gone, but she had been worried, and she would admit that. She stormed back into the house.

_What did he ever see in her? _Ziva wondered.

"What did I ever see in her?" Tony asked himself.

"You know Tony," Ziva said, a little smile coming over her face, "I believe the agreement was first one back to the _house_…"

She bolted up the stairs, and Tony quickly followed her, missing her by a fraction of a second. She placed once finger on the door. "I win."

Gracious I defeat, he held the door open for her. "Ladies first."

"I thought sex had nothing to do with this," she teased.

He chuckled. "Oh believe me, sex has _everything _to do with this."

…

**A/N: Did you like it? Good news is I have a vague idea as to what I want to do with this. A review would be awesome, favourite lines especially.  
>Anyone who's seen 9x03, what do we think of Grandma McGee? Hey, that rhymes!<br>Would have liked it if she was a Deep Six fan, though I very much enjoyed the story at the end (I won't spoil it if you haven't seen it.  
>I'll update soon!<strong>


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Hello again! Good news, we've hit 180 reviews! Big hugs and kisses to all of you, I seriously love you. We are only at the very beginning of this holiday. I'm not entirely sure how this will pan out but I'm enjoying the ride and I hope you are too.**

Ziva felt the hot water gush over her aching body. It ached everywhere, from running, from the cold, and probably a little from the morning 'swim' she had shared with Tony.

Tony.

What was she doing? How was it that he had always been able to get to her like that? How was it that no matter how sure she was of something, he made her question her judgement in every way possible? And how could he trick her brain into believing that being with a man whose commitment issues had cost him more relationships than one could count could possibly be a good idea? But she wanted to. Oh, how she wanted to.

Tony.

Just the sound of his name was different now. It gave her shivers, knowing that, against every rule and moral she had, she and Tony had come _this close _to making love in the waves like some cheesy erotic novel. But it was erotic. She had become like a version of her old self, fuelled by strength, passion, and lust. And behind that she knew there was something great waiting for them. They could give in to the desires that had plagued them for years, free of tethers, strings and chains. Of course, she was not yet free of those things…

She pictured Ray's sweet face. His smile, his eyes, his abnormally large ears which she had always found cute. It felt wrong of her to be so cruel to him, after he had helped her heal. He had taught her heart to love all over again, been kind to her, trustworthy (for the most part) and tolerant of her when she begged to take things slowly. She knew she mustn't hurt him. If things between them were going to end, they had to at least end it right. He was a good man, and he did not deserve the pain of a bad breakup, not when he had been so good for her.

As she turned off the taps she decided and promised herself she would not go any further with Tony until she had ended things with Ray, the right way.

She wrapped her tan body in a white, fluffy towel and made her way into the bedroom, where Ray was slipping on a T-shirt.

"Hello Ray," she said as normally as she possibly could, waiting for a wave of guilt to seize her when she saw his face.

"Ziva," he greeted in a serious tone, looking at her through the mirror, into the eyes of her reflection. "I thought you had run off again."

"What?" she asked, her eyes squinted and her brows furrowed.

"Well it's not unusual for you and Tony to be spending time together but it is when it's at five in the morning," he said.

Ziva closed her eyes and took a deep breath. _Please don't let him be onto it. Don't let it end like this._

"He needed help, and I just so happened to be there for him. Is that so bad?"

"What does that have to do with you taking a stroll on the beach together?"

"It was not a _stroll _it was a run. He needed to clear his head, and when I want to clear my head I go running," she said sternly.

"What did you need to clear _your _head of then?"

"Nothing. I went with him because, well, sending someone to run ten miles in the pouring rain when it's barely light outside is not exactly a caring gesture." She paused, looking at him with a confused expression. "What has gotten into you?"

"You," he sighed, holding her gently by the shoulders. "I'm sorry I just—"

"Do not worry about it, Ray, OK?"

…

It was a little later in the morning that the rain and clouds began to clear up. By eight, little patches of blue were appearing in the sky. By nine, they were bigger and by ten there were hardly any clouds at all. Ray, EJ and Tony had gone out looking for wetsuits, since the water was a little colder than expected.

Ziva reached for her ringing cell phone and answered from her spot, standing on the balcony.

"Hello?"

"_Ziva!" _said the perky voice on the other end of the line. It took only that for Ziva to know who it was. "_How are you?"_

"I am fine," she said, unable to suppress the tiniest laugh at her friend's inability to be her effervescent, bubbly self.

"_So you're all set for tonight? Ray's welcome too. And the Eternally Evil EJ."_

"So I take it you are not a fan?"

"_Well, 'Eternally Evil' could be a little strong."_

"Still, I understand completely."

"_You wouldn't be jealous, would you?" _Abby teased.

"No," Ziva said, too loudly, too quickly. "I mean, no, I am simply concerned that she is not quite right for Tony," she recovered slowly.

"_Right. Well, see you tonight."_

Ziva said an embarrassed goodbye and held her head in her hands. The one time she really needed her deft lying skills, they fail her. She only lifted her head when her attention was caught by a pair of strong hands. She smiled to herself, glad that Ray had come around, and that he was back to his normal, placid self.

She turned in his arms only to be greeted by the face of another man. And she would be damned if his smile could get any cheesier.

"Tony, what are you doing?" she hissed, finding it very difficult not to smile. "I thought you went shopping."

"Turns out I'm easy to buy for," he said, lifting the shopping bag that was in his hand.

"When will the others be back?"

"I don't know. Soon, I should think."

"We could get caught."

"That's the best part," he whispered sensually.

"Wait, stop," she said loudly, giving him a gentle push. "We have to do this right."

"You're right, you're right. I have to end things with EJ and you have to end things with Ray, before this goes anywhere."

"Good. I am glad we are in agreement."

"So am I."

And simultaneously, they grabbed a hold of each other and their lips crashed together in a hot mess. Before the pleasure could fully take hold Tony pulled away.

"You have no idea how much this is killing me but we had an agreement," Tony said very quickly, not making eye contact but holding out his hand. "And I intend on keeping it."

"What are you doing?"

"Shake on it. Shake my hand and we agree: nothing happens until we're both single. Nothing before then."

Reluctantly, she nodded and shook his hand.

"Deal."

**A/N: What did you think my lovelies? Reviews are love :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: I very, very sincerely apologise for my lateness. Real life got hectic. There were pigeon adoptions, Shakespeare, homework, and the very little time I have for a very little social life. (and yes, I really did adopt a pigeon). But thank you all SO much for the amazing reviews/alerts/favs. It astounds me that we have hit 200 reviews this early on, and I am really glad you are enjoying the story. Big loves to you all!  
>Oh, and I've started a new story called 'What Is Lost and What Is Left Behind', if anyone's interested. I am also on Tumblr (koalaonasubmarine) – get it? - and Twitter (superashy8). <strong>

…

The rest of the day had been nice. Ray and EJ were shopping for a while and Tony and Ziva relaxed on the couch and watched TV (since it was impossible for Tony to choose a movie). They did what they did best: didn't talk about things that shouldn't have happened. Neither mentioned their recent affair under the morning sun, nor their kiss on the balcony. But it was different this time. The silence between them had no tension, because the urge, the lingering questions of 'what if?' had been resolved. Now they could simply enjoy the presence of one another without wondering what they had missed out on. And it was nice.

Tony loved the feeling of having Ziva in his arms, the fruity scent of her shampoo and the soft touch of her skin. It was little things like that that assured him this wasn't a dream. He accepted the fact that even Ziva was unsure of her feelings towards their relationship, but he would wait forever and a day to hear her say 'I love you'. He'd take a million bullets; rescue her from every existing terrorist camp on the planet, so long as they were together. After everything they had been through, he was pretty sure they were unstoppable.

…

Later that night, the dysfunctional foursome headed off to a pub in town, where Abby and McGee were set to meet them at 1900 hours sharp. Ray and EJ exchanged the occasional silent glance, knowing all too well that both of them would go to any lengths they had to, to hear the truth about Tony and Ziva. Hell, they'd interrogate them if they had to. It was killing them, Ray especially. He knew he was being sneaky, but he couldn't just ask her. She was really starting to fully trust him again.

Both wore casual smiles as the five federal agents and one forensic scientist sat at a booth. On one side, Abby, McGee and Ziva, and on the other, Tony, EJ and Ray. Small talk was exchanged, but that only lasted so long, and even the best small talk didn't go for more than five minutes.

"Well," Tony said slapping the table as he rose from his seat. "I'm gonna go get us some beers."

"Oh, nothing for me, Tony," McGee said, and Abby and Ziva, either side of him, shot him a puzzled look.

Tony smiled. "Aw, come on, McDesignatedDriver, have a little fun. You're on vacation! Unless you want something else?"

Afraid Tony would ridicule him further because he was known to have a particular taste for drinks more targeted to a feminine audience, he simply decided to go with the beer.

When Tony left, Ziva also rose from her seat. Four heads turned in her direction. "I'm going to the bathroom," she explained, and calmly walked away from the table.

Ray considered how to approach their situation with Abby and McGee. He had to ask in exactly the right way, so they wouldn't believe he was nosy or distrusting of Ziva. EJ saw his difficulty with words and started for him.

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked, twisting a fork with her thumb and forefinger.

"You wanna know about Tony and Ziva," Abby assumed, with a mischievous smile.

EJ looked up. "How did you know?"

She shrugged, tilting her head to the side. "Everybody always does."

"It's not that we don't trust them," Ray jumped in. "It's just that they…give off this _vibe._"

"It's weird," EJ added.

"It's dysfunctional," Ray agreed.

"It's Tony and Ziva," McGee concluded. "That's them in a nutshell."

"McGee would know," Abby said. "He wrote a book about it."

Ray and EJ frowned and looked weirdly at McGee.

"The book was not _about _them…so much as it featured characters with similar personality traits and physical features," McGee explained. Or tried to. He stuttered a lot.

"Yeah," Abby scoffed, rolling her eyes. "And names. I mean, Tommy and Lisa? You really think they wouldn't figure that out?"

"Wait, are you talking about _Deep Six_?" EJ asked, her eyes wide.

"I read that book," Ray agreed. "Those two characters were in love with each other."

EJ and Ray looked at one another with alarm.

"It's fiction!" Tim cried. "I mean, the characters aren't, really, but the story is."

"Then what's the real story?" EJ asked.

"It's complicated."

"Life's complicated," Ray snapped. "Let's hear it."

McGee was taken aback, but began anyway. "Uh, we first met Ziva in 2005. We were looking for an Israeli man who had…been a problem to the agency."

Abby looked at McGee in horror. How could he say so little about the truth? It was the truth they were telling, wasn't it? Kate's death hadn't been a problem, it had been a disaster.

"He killed a former member of our team, named Kate," McGee murmured, missing her at just the picture of her sweet face. Who was he kidding, he missed her every day. "Gibbs was furious, would go to any length to catch the bastard. Unfortunately, Ziva was his only defence, and she was a good one."

"Why was Ziva defending a guy you were trying to catch?" EJ questioned.

"She was his control officer," Abby answered. "Mossad. Some stuff went down, I don't really wanna talk about it, but in the end, Ari was killed."

Ray nodded understandingly, only because he knew the whole story.

"We thought we wouldn't see Ziva again," McGee continued. "But a few weeks later I walked into the squad room and there she was. Our new Director had assigned her as a Mossad liaison officer for NCIS. None of us really took to her all that well, especially Abby."

"I missed Kate. I just wanted to heal a little longer. It took me a long time to like Ziva," the Goth admitted.

"But it didn't take Tony all that long at all," McGee said, looking over his shoulder at Tony, who was waiting in a long line for the bar, and then to the bathroom door, which showed no signs of movement. "They flirted. I thought something was gonna happen between them. We all did. Even Gibbs suspected something, I think. But we didn't really see anything until about a month after Ziva joined the team."

"She and Tony went undercover as married assassins," Abby said with a smile, fond memories of the experience, most of them of McGee in his cute little waiter outfit.

"What happened?" Ray asked, and he and EJ both leant forward across the table, eager to hear more.

"Let's just say it was pretty convincing," Abby said.

"After that, things were easy for a while. We began to get used to having her around. Boy, was she different back then."

"What was she like?" Ray queried, with a little smile, though not so happy that he hadn't heart the 'married assassins' story.

"She was wild," McGee answered with a goofy grin. "She had this mane of curly hair, wore nothing but baggy clothes, boots, cargo pants. She wouldn't be seen without a knife. She wasn't afraid of anything, or anyone. And she could make DiNozzo turn to jelly like _that_." He snapped his fingers."

"In the spring, Gibbs got into a terrible accident and he retired. Tony became our team leader, and nothing was holding them back," Abby told them. "Like Gibbs' Rule 12: Never date a co-worker. But they were together for the summer."

"So they _dated_?" EJ asked, shocked.

"Tony told me they were just sleeping together, but it wasn't anything that serious," McGee clarified. "I'll never know if he was telling the truth or not. They're both so damn guarded about their past."

Both EJ and Ray had missed that last part completely. They were both caught up in what they had both heard. They had seen each other for an entire summer, and only broken it off for professional reasons, and _neither _of them had even mentioned it before.

This wasn't the only thing that was worrying. Abby saw their concern, and pitied them. They were only just getting started.

**A/N: I would have done more but a) that was pretty long and b) I have more fanfiction to write. Reviews are love though xx. I'll update as soon as I can, I promise. **


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Hello all! I decided it was fanfiction Friday and that it was time to get off my butt and write some! Thank you all for your wonderful responses to the last chapter, let's keep 'em coming!**

Silence hung low in the atmosphere that surrounded the barely acquainted foursome at the bar that night. McGee was wondering if Ray's jaw could actually get any closer to the floor, and realising that in comparison to the rest of him his mouth was actually pretty big. Almost as big as his ears.

_There's gotta be some kinda ear-to-face ratio he's breaking here, _Tim thought to himself. _God, what am I thinking? I'm turning into Tony. _

At the thought of the older agent he turned around, and Tony was _still _in line for drinks, but getting closer and closer to the front. But they knew Ziva would be out any second from the bathroom.

"I can't believe they dated…" EJ said.

Abby supressed a small laugh. "Oh, we're not done yet."

"After they broke things off, Tony was sent on this huge undercover assignment, and fell in love with the girl," McGee said. "He was so secretive about it, Ziva thought he was having recurring symptoms for _y-pestis_."

"Pneumonic plague?" Ray asked.

"That must be why Tony's so afraid of rats," EJ assumed.

"He didn't get it from a rat," Abby replied.

"Then how did he get it?" Ray questioned.

"That's really another story," McGee answered. "Anyway, after that happened, Tony's car got blown up and we thought he was, well, _in it._"

"And Ziva?" asked Ray.

"That was the first time I ever saw her cry," he answered solemnly. "After that, things were good for a couple months, apart from the death of our Director. Tony snapped a couple pictures of Ziva in a bikini while they were on security detail in California."

"He hung them on his wall when he got stationed on the USS Seahawk," Abby said, looking at McGee and giggling.

"Yeah, and then she and Gibbs came aboard and caught him," McGee finished, holding his hand out for Abby to high-five it.

At this point EJ and Ray were pretty much mortified, but Abby and McGee were having a little too much fun telling the story to really care.

"Then…things got interesting," Abby continued.

"Ziva met this guy in Israel…" McGee added.

"His name was Michael Rivkin."

"She never said a word about him."

"It drove Tony insane."

"He was sneaking around…" McGee said.

"Always asking questions," Abby said.

"In the end, things took a turn for the worst."

"Somehow Rivkin became of interest to NCIS, and Ziva was being secretive."

"So Tony, being Tony, went over to her apartment to confront her about it, but she wasn't there."

"Rivkin was."

"By the end of that night, Tony was the only one left, with a gun in his hand."

EJ's eyes widened to the size of tennis balls. "He shot him?"

"Kill shot," McGee confirmed.

"What happened after that?" Ray asked.

"Ziva, Tony and Gibbs went to Israel to sort things out. On the plane ride back, they were one short. Ziva didn't come back," he explained.

"And now we enter the worst summer ever," Abby said, recalling the experience in her head. "Three months, and she didn't talk to any of us, not Tony, not McGee, not Gibbs and not me. We were worried, so McGee and I…" The computer geeks exchanged nervous glances.

"We dug around for information, trying to find out whatever we could about Ziva, while Tony tried to sell it to Gibbs that it was worth looking in the first place," McGee finished for her.

"By the time we'd figured it out, we thought it was too late. Ziva and a team had been put on a ship and it had gone down with no survivors. Or so we thought."

"Basically, the guy who the ship had been sent for was head of a terrorist camp on the Horn of Africa, and we went there to end his operations. Only when Tony and I got there…"

"You found me," a voice sounded. They all looked up, and Ziva was standing behind EJ and Ray.

"I think you mean 'we', Zee-vah," Tony's voice came from behind them, in his hands a tray of beers.

McGee slapped his forehead with his palm and Abby shrank down in her seat. Not only had they revealed their friends' entire history but now they knew about it.

_Crap, _McGee scorned himself. _Tony's going to kill me. And they're doing that thing again! That thing where they stare each other down until one of them says something._

"Point taken," Ziva finally said. "Tony saved my life that day. You both did."

"And Gibbs!" Abby felt compelled to add, but no one was really paying attention. EJ and Ray were too busy looking at their respective boyfriends/girlfriends, and they were too busy looking at each other.

It was only after some awkward shuffling about and water cooler talk that Ray finally captured the group's interest with an old case story from his probie days. Tony and Ziva thanked God they had gotten away with that one. One look in his eyes and all Ziva could see was their morning on the beach, the touch of his hands, the feel of his lips, the sand on her skin: it was all so very vivid in her mind, and all it took was a look.

_We are so screwed, _Tony thought.

Luckily, by the end of the story their dinners had been brought to the table and the sound of chewing was enough noise for the hungry group.

…

Despite rehashing some painful memories, the night ended up quite pleasant in the end. Ray and EJ had some unresolved feelings about Tony and Ziva's previous relationship (if only they knew the half of it, Abby had thought), but besides that everything turned out OK. Once they were all ready to leave, Abby and Ziva got up to walk to their cars, while Tony and McGee went into the bathroom.

"You know, Ziva," Abby said as the two walked out into the dark parking lot. "The place McGee and I are staying at has two bedrooms. If you ever get sick of EJ, you and Tony can come stay with us and I can bunk with McGee."

Ziva smiled gratefully at her always giving friend. "I am sure McGee will like that," she laughed. "And, um, I may have to take you up on that offer, at some point."

In the men's room, the boys were having a similar conversation.

"Hey, Tony," McGee said as he pulled up his fly and waited for the closed cubicle door to open. "We've got a spare room at our place, so you can stay with us if you get tired of Ray."

"And intrude on your geek sex with Abby? I would never dream of it," he said. "Thanks, McGee, but I'm OK."

"Since when are you OK with anyone who gets to sleep with Ziva?" McGee joked back.

"Since…" Tony went to proclaim his relations with Ziva but stopped himself. If it was going anywhere they had to be careful, take things slow and most of all, do it together. In the men's room with McGee was not the place to reveal things. "Guess I might have to take you up on that after all."

McGee laughed as they walked out of the men's room. "So what exactly makes geek sex different from regular sex?"

"That's easy," Tony answered. "You determine your positions with algorithms."

McGee rolled his eyes and could only wonder how long Tony had been sitting on that one.

**A/N: Hope you liked that chapter, will update ASAP :) also follow me on tumblr if you want, I'm koalaonasubmarine (get it? It's a reference to Truth or Consequences, my all-time FAVOURITE episode). Also anyone who's seen Safe Harbour, loved it! That end scene broke my heart. Anyway…reviews are love.**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Oh my jesus, it's been far too long since I've updated. My sincerest apologies! I've had a lot going on, and a little bit of 'creative stifling' as Mr Gemcity likes to call it. **

Though EJ and Ray were not entirely surprised by the information that their respective partners had fraternised in the past, it still did not bode well to be alone with them without McGee and Abby to buffer the tension. This made the car ride home a rather awkward ordeal. Ziva was observant as ever, despite her heightened blood-alcohol level, and noticed EJ giving her evil eyes from the other side of the back seat. Tony did not see Ray's slightly less blatant signs of anger. He was focused on the road, but his knuckles gripped the wheel so hard they were turning white.

Ziva didn't dare speak a word but wondered in her head what could possibly be so wrong. Ray _never _got angry. He was always calm and grounded; it was one of the things she liked about him. She was also still yet to answer the question of why Abby was telling them about Somalia. Abby wouldn't have just pulled that out of a bag of possible dinner stories. It had been hard for all of them, especially Ziva. They had to have asked. Abby could have a big mouth at times but when she kept things quiet she kept them quiet forever. But she realised, as Ray pulled the car into the driveway and he and EJ made a hasty exit that involved slamming doors that they must have known more. Somalia was painful, but not something they would be angry about. If anything, they would be sympathetic, even EJ, who despite some decent behaviour in the early days of the vacation, she still could not bring herself to like.

"We better get inside," Tony murmured. "Oh, EJ left her purse," he said as he slid out of the door.

"Aren't you gonna get it for her?" Ziva asked, sliding out herself.

"Gee, I really don't think she's in the mood for contact right now," he replied. "They obviously know something."

"What should we do about it?"

"Honestly, I think we should take McGee's offer. They have a spare room," he proposed.

"I know," she said, scratching her ear like she often did when she was thinking. "Abby told me."

"So we have a deal?"

Ziva chewed her lip, and said nothing.

"Are you serious?" Tony asked, his voice rising. "You're gonna bail on me for CI-Ray?"

"No, no, no, Tony," she assured him, touching his forearm. "I just haven't been looking forward to this. I do not want to hurt him."

"I don't really think there's any other way to do it," he said.

"I know you don't like him, but he has been good to me."

He watched the gold glow of the street lights shimmer in her eyes, and shine over her tanned skin, placing a gentle hand on her cheek and a soft kiss to her lips. She wrapped a hand around his neck and pushed herself upwards, into his arms.

"It's for the better," he whispered, leaning her forehead against his.

…

EJ stormed into her bedroom. How could Tony not have told her this? How could he have cared so little about her? She flopped onto the bed and reached for her cell phone, remembering it was in her purse. She scanned the room, and realised with a huff that she must have left it in the car. As poised and elegantly as she could manage, she made her way to the front door and opened it quietly, but froze before she could take her first step.

Under the light of the moon on this summer's night, Tony and Ziva's lips were locked in a romantic embrace. He let her go and whispered sweetly into her ear something she would never hear herself. She thought her heart had stopped. She brought herself to close the door without a sound and sprint into the bedroom, slamming the door. Ray, who was next door, heard the slam, which had been far louder than the first and out of concern, went in there to find the blonde sobbing on the bed.

"You know, I think we're overreacting. I know they didn't tell us but this is probably what they were afraid of. You should have seen Ziva when she thought I slept with y—" he tried to reason, he tried to joke, but her eyes when she finally looked up at him, told him this was something more than the information they had obtained earlier this evening.

"What is it?" he asked wearily, not sure if he wanted to know. Before she could say a word, Ziva walked in.

"Ray, I was just looking for you, I…" she trailed off when she saw EJ.

"Come on, I need to talk to you," he replied, leading her out of the room.

Tony timed his entrance just right so he wouldn't have to face Ray's death stare when he walked to his room. But he was not prepared to find EJ like this.

He gulped. This was worse than he thought. He quietly approached the bed, and sat next to her sobbing figure. "Hey," he said softly. That was all it took for her to explode.

"Hey?" she shouted. "Hey? You've been out there _cheating _on me, sucking Ziva's face and all you're going say is 'hey'?"

Tony's eyes widened so much he thought they might pop out of his head. "Uh…you…I…."

"Oh, don't even try to reason with me Tony, you could have at least told me you didn't like me! No wonder you never talk about your relationship with her! How long has this been going on, huh?"

"The other day – on the beach," he managed to get out.

"That is it! I'm leaving. I don't want to talk to you, I don't want to see you, I'm going home and I am talking to Vance to transfer me."

"To where?"

"Anywhere! Anywhere that's not around you. I'll put up with a lot of crap, Tony, but I hate liars. You took advantage of my trust!" she ranted as she stormed around the room, throwing clothes into her suitcase from every angle.

"Wait – you're not going now, are you? It's the middle of the night?"

"I don't care. I just want to get out of here!"

"Look, EJ, can we just talk about this for—"

She stopped walking and came right up close to him. "Forget it, Tony. It's over. Feel free to see whoever you want. Just don't talk to me," she said. Clear as crystal, black and white, no grey areas.

He nodded. "OK. I'm gonna go downstairs," he said, and tiptoed out of the room. She said nothing as he did so.

Once safely away from the others, he pulled out his cell phone and dialled McGee's number. From the loud noises in the background, he gathered he and Abby were still at the bar.

"Yeah, Tony?" he answered, his voice slightly slurred.

"Hey McGee," he said, shuffling on the spot and scratching the back of his head. "About that offer…"

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Ray and Ziva's section in the next one. Reviews are great stuff :)**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: I am so sorry about the delay! To be honest, I've been struggling with writer's block, not to mention studying, and my school play and my choir. Anyway, here is chapter number 20! How exciting that we've made it this far. Thank you guys for all the support and reviews and alerts and I love you all!**

Ziva followed Ray into their bedroom, hearing Tony's footsteps next door and pitying him for having to be alone with an EJ that was one remark from breaking point. She crossed her arms over her chest, but one hand reached up to fiddle with her earring, like she always did when she was anxious or nervous (or when she was flirting, which did not apply in this case).

"So…what is it that you wanted to talk about?" she asked, knowing exactly what was on his mind but simply procrastinating. She had not broken up a serious relationship in years. Not at least someone she had come to love. Before, it had been Michael Rivkin. She hadn't even had the chance to say goodbye to him. Before that, she had fallen in love with the dead man walking. She still questioned her judgement from that time but never regretted it. Before him…it had been Tony. But that had been a mutual agreement; to end things before Gibbs found out. This was different. This was Ray. This was the man who had taken her around Miami; Vermont; New York. He had cooked her romantic dinners eaten in front of a warm fireplace in winter and walked with her under the evening sun in the summer.

In all this time she thought he had been the most perfect man she had ever met. He was caring, loving, selfless, handsome, smart, kind and just…perfect. Now, looking into his eyes, she realised that her first instincts had been right. He really was perfect. But what she had realised was that she didn't want perfect. She wanted Tony. Scarred, damaged, rough around the edges. But still, she never wanted to hurt him. Now she didn't think she had a choice.

Her train of thought was interrupted by a loud shout from the room next door. Both she and Ray pressed their ears against the wall, trying to hear to the argument. They could only hear muffled noises – one male voice, and one female. Pretty soon they heard their bedroom door slam, and loud footsteps down the stairs.

"I suppose I should go talk to her," Ray suggested, though it was clear he didn't really want to.

"No, I'll do it," Ziva said, following EJ's path downstairs.

Ziva crept stealthily down the stairs into the dark living room, where the blonde was seated on the sofa.

"What do you want?" she asked through the darkness, bitterness soaking her words.

Ziva carefully sat down beside the girl, breathing deep and choosing her words carefully.

"EJ, I know you're upset about this, but—"

"Shut up, Ziva, just shut up!" EJ snapped, sitting up and curling her fingers into tight fists in her lap. "I don't wanna talk to anyone right now."

"Then don't talk. Just listen."

At the sound of the Israeli's stern words, the blonde looked up, her expression stubborn but abiding.

"I get it, OK? You had this casual thing with Tony, no strings attached. With work and _Gibbs _to get around, it was best for everyone for the relationship to be just physical. Friends with benefits. And then you started feeling something."

"How would you know?" she interrupted, but her voice had lost its sharp edge, and she caught a falling tear with the brush of her hand.

"When Gibbs retired, and Tony and I began…spending more time together, it was just a casual thing. We told ourselves and each other that the mutual interest was purely physical. But I began to fall for his charm, but it was too late, and he was put on assignment. Gibbs was back in charge soon enough, and we had no hope of surviving. Tony fell in love with a woman named Jeanne. And that's how I know what is inside your head: because there is nothing harder than watching the person you love, love someone else."

"So, what, this time 'round, you're this Jeanne woman and I'm you?" EJ questioned. "You and Tony aren't just hooking up?"

"I'm afraid it isn't that simple," Ziva sighed. "To answer your question, no. In plainest possible English, I love Tony, and I know he loves me too, but that does not mean he does not care about you. Which is why we haven't, um…"

"You didn't go all the way?" EJ asked, shocked.

"That would be one way to put it," Ziva replied.

"I just hate that you're the one who gets the guy. I can never seem to catch a break with love."

"Look, EJ, I don't know much about your past but I know I haven't gotten here without having my heart broken."

"But you have Ray – he's perfect; why would you want to give that up?"

"Look, it's not that I don't care about Ray, I just…care more about Tony. I can't help it. Sure, Ray is perfect, but I cannot make myself want that. I _need_ somebody who needs me. Tony is that somebody."

EJ's sad eyes shone in the low lighting of the living room, the only source of light the lamp in the corner. "He really does love you. I hope things go well."

Ziva smiled in the near-darkness. "Thank you, EJ. And just between us, I have always thought Ray had a thing for you."

"Thanks but I think I'm just gonna start fresh. Transfer somewhere new, or maybe I'll go back to Spain, meet a Spanish guy. They're always fun."

For the first time, Ziva had some respect for that woman. She was mature, she was understanding. Maybe she had even liked her for a minute there.

…

When Ziva walked back into her bedroom, she was shocked to see Ray sitting on the bed, next to her suitcase, which was packed and zipped and waiting for her.

"Are you kicking me out?" she asked, only half joking.

"It's OK, Ziva," he replied solemnly. "I know."

She played dumb. "Know what?"

"I heard you talking to EJ."

Her breath caught in her chest. "Ray, I'm so sorry," she said, walking over to him.

He smiled. "Don't be." Carefully, he stood up, his hands brushing her forearms, their bodies close. "The heart wants what it wants, right? And you can't have the heart of a person that doesn't love you. You were far too good to be true anyway."

"This was real, OK?" she told him, feeling the need to elaborate. "It was special and you will always have a place in my heart, it's just that—"

"Tony's place is far more significant, I get it. Just don't forget me, OK?"

With two fingers under her jaw, his lips touched hers gently for the very last time. She looked into his eyes, saying goodbye to their time together. She would miss him, his warmth, support and willingness to listen, but she knew in her heart she was doing the right thing. She slipped out of his grasp, picking up her suitcase and walking out the door. Before taking her final steps out of his life, she turned in the doorway and mouthed, "Thank you," to him.

When she got downstairs she found Tony spreading blanket over a sleeping EJ. It was cheesy, but a kind deed nonetheless.

"I called McGee, told him I'd explain things in the morning. He's expecting us in ten," he whispered.

"Without a car?" Ziva asked back in a hushed tone.

"I called a cab." They heard a beep out front. "Come on, we better get going."

The couple momentarily paused as they exited their short-lived summer home for the final time. They felt somehow that this was the end of a chapter in their story, but there was oh so much more, and with days still left of their time in Miami, they knew deep down the best was yet to come.

**A/N: Hope you guys liked that! I'm thinking next chapter or the one after is the one with Tony and Ziva's "first time" in the story (obviously besides Under Covers and those three months between Seasons 3 and 4. So I'm putting it to another vote, because you guys were really responsive to that last time. Do I a) make it short, sweet and subtle or b) give them a long detailed and slightly more explicit scene? Your choice. Majority rules. **


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Sooo, most of you - actually _all _of you - voted for option B, as I thought you would :) who doesn't love some Tiva lovin'? Anyhow, thanks for all your reviews again! I love reading them :) BTW, I wrote this in class, one of my favourite places to write. Sometimes one of the hardest - I'm careful around whom I write, because people always ask me what I'm doing. But this was the product of people doing speeches in English and then spare time after a maths test. Just thought I'd mention that. **

Tony and Ziva's welcome into McGee and Abby's quaint little rented beach house was a quiet one, for the hour was late and the sights of the agents fell on heavy eyelids. The hosts tiredly showed their friends to the spare room. McGee mumbled something incoherently and waddled away to bed after Abby

Thought tired, it did not go unnoticed by both Ziva and Tony that the bed's crisp white sheets were untouched, and if any sleeping had been done in this house, it has certainly not been in this room. But the day had been too long and hard for either to comment on it. They simply crawled under the clean sheets and drifted off into a deep, sound slumber.

…

As a normally early riser, it surprised Ziva when she was woken only by the morning sun beating down on her through the bedroom window. She opened her eyes and brushed her wild curls from her face, to find herself with Tony's arm draped lazily across her shoulders, and her hand on his chest. Gently, she tried to shake him awake, but he did not stir. She decided to leave him sleep, and sneaked out of the room and away from the soft comfort of his arms, into the kitchen, where Abby was standing over the stove.

"Thought you liked to sleep late on vacations," Ziva said, running a hand through her messy curls.

"Well, the early bird," Abby replied, turning around and scraping half the contents of her frypan onto two plates, "gets the eggs."

"I thought it was 'worm'," Ziva said, still half asleep. Last night had been a late one, and though Tony had been by her side, sleep had not been as kind as its alluring arms appeared on tired eyes.

"Only if you want worms for breakfast," the Goth said, pushing the eggs, sunny side up, towards her friend.

"Thank you, Abby." Ziva took a seat on one of the stools situated next to the kitchen counter.

"No problem." Abby lifted the frypan again. "Bacon?"

"No thanks," the Israeli politely declined. "Not really kosher."

Abby grinned. "I wasn't talking to you."

In a second, Tony appeared in their midst. "Did somebody say bacon?" he asked, like a lame catch phrase that was still in its testing phase. Abby handed him the plate happily as he sat down next to Ziva.

"When Tony was recovering from the plague, I'd visit him every day after work, and he'd sleep so much he'd only just be out of bed when I got there. I offered to cook for him and he asked me for bacon, so that's what I made him."

"Every day?" Ziva questioned, leaning in as she spoke, admirable but not stunned at Abby's dedication to Tony.

"And it was good, too," Tony added, his mouth full. Ziva laughed and took another bite of her eggs.

All heads turned to the second bedroom as McGee came trudging out of it.

"Finally decided to join us, Probie?" Tony teased, and Tim pouted.

"I'll put up with the nickname at work, Tony, but please let me have my vacation," he complained, his eyelids still droopy. Apparently, the chirpy front he put on every morning at work was rather different to the reality. McGee was not a morning person.

"Do not worry, McGee, I am sure Abby will make you some breakfast. Or I will."

"Can't," Abby shrugged. "Tony ate the last of the bacon, and I had the last eggs.

"You ate by bacon?" McGee asked, as if someone had done something unspeakable to him.

"Aw, looks like toast for McLateRiser."

Ziva held back a laugh at McGee's expense and Abby announced she was going to have a shower.

Tim spotted a nearly empty coffee mug sitting on the countertop and lifted it to his lips, feeling the sugar and caffeine run through his veins and in his mind he hatched a plan.

He leaned in, his voice low, and said to Tony, "Wow, Abby's butt sure looks good in those short shorts." Sure enough, he turned his head (much to the amusement but annoyance of Ziva, who had of course heard them), and McGee swiftly snatched the remaining rashers of Abby's delectable bacon from the plate and stuffed them into his mouth. When Tony realised what he had done, the glare of his eyes was enough to send McGee running.

"Yeah, you better run, McGee! You're a dead man!" Tony called after him, standing up and shaking his fist in the air angrily. Ziva scoffed.

"What?" he asked, like he hadn't just given McGee a death threat. "He took my bacon!"

She rose from her seat and took the two empty plates, filling the sink with hot soapy water. "If there is going to be this much dispute over _bacon _for the rest of the vacation, then I am glad I am Jewish."

**A/N: That was just a bit of fun. We'll get to some more interesting stuff next chapter, I just thought you might like a quick update with some humour. I'll get to writing the other stuff ASAP, with the love scene coming sometime in the next few chapters. Reviews are ! (and yes, I spelled that without looking it up). **


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews!**

McGee safely hid himself in the attic of the house for the next few minutes in fear of revenge for his bacon-thieving ways. With him gone and Abby in the shower, Ziva and Tony had a moment alone: something they did not waste.

"So," Tony began, with just a tinge of awkwardness. "What are we gonna say to them?"

Ziva stopped to think, her arms dangling elbow-deep in soapy dishwater. "I would prefer if we could have done that before, we would have been in this situation a lot sooner."

"You really believe that?"

"I believe we kept trying to say what we were thinking but we just ended up saying things that were…" she searched for the right word.

"Cryptic?" Tony suggested.

"Exactly. And the last thing I would want is to be misunderstood."

"Because that would never happen," he joked, and she flicked water at him. "You nervous?"

She looked up from her dishes and rolled her eyes. Tony sighed.

"Yeah, me too."

He stood up from his chair and made his way behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders, her skin darker than usual from the sun and smooth against his coarse fingers. "We're gonna make it, OK?" he whispered, his lips brushing against her neck. She grinned and leaned into his touch, turning around and hooking his arms around his neck. He grinned back and let his forehead lean against hers, placing the most gentle of kisses onto her waiting lips. She responded passionately, clawing her fingers over his scalp, dragging bubbled through his hair. He relished the feeling of their lips attacking one another's. It had been just days since he had touched her, but it felt like years. When they were together, he always seemed to push everything else out of his head, forget where they were, or who could walk in at absolutely any moment.

Take now for instance.

"Oh my God," McGee gulpted, who had only just come out of his hiding spot and was standing in the entrance of the kitchen, looking completely gobsmacked.

The couple froze, and not knowing what else to do, the carefully lifted their hands off each other's bodies, Ziva quickly brushing the soap bubbled off herself and off of Tony's head, and stepped apart. The most awkward of silences fillied the air so thickly that it could be sliced with the knife that Tony's hand had accidentally brushed against as it had rested on Ziva's hip just moments ago.

"Wha – whe – ho – uh…" McGee stammered. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and wallowed. "You two?" The poor guy looked so confused, like his brain had been turned inside out.

"I am sorry we did not tell you sooner, McGee," Ziva said apologetically.

"This is real?" he asked, the information appearing to take some time to sink in.

Tony reached over and took Ziva's hand in his. "Yeah. It's real."

McGee was quiet for a moment, watching the way Ziva squeezed his hand, then let it fall to his side as she slid right up next to him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, holding her close.

_Wow, he really loves her, _McGee thought. _He's actually serious about this._

"I know this is a bit of a shock but – "

"Nah," Tim said, finding himself able to speak properly again. "I knew – we all did – that it was a matter of when, not if. I just didn't expect it to be now. You know with Ray and EJ and everything."

"Yeah, well…" Tony said, exchanging a look with Ziva. "That ship has sailed."

"Hey, can I ask you guys something? Why now? I mean, you've had six years' worth of opportunities, but you choose now? How come?"

"I guess I just…how do I say it without it sounding corny?" he asked himself.

"He professed his love for me as we lay on the sands of a beach, the waves washing over our bodies as rain fell from the sky," Ziva offered, smiling teasingly at Tony.

"Good one, Ziva," McGee said, then looked at Tony's uncomfortable expression. "Wait, seriously?

"Sadly, yes," he admitted.

"Evidently, it worked," Tim replied.

Ziva smiled up at Tony and put a hand on his chest. "I suppose it did."

He leant down to kiss her again.

"Whoa!" McGee exclaimed, covering his face with his hands. I'm happy for you guys and everything, but I don't need to see that!"

"See what?" asked a voice, whose body came out of the bathroom clad in a tiny black skirt and a tank top, wet hair hanging around her shoulders. A huge gasp escaped her lips as she saw her friends still wrapped in a loving embrace. "What's going on?"

"Ziva and I were just…" Tony started.

"Sucking face," McGee finished.

"Don't tell me you two…" Abby exclaimed. "Oh my God!" She bounced over to her friends and suffocated them in a giant hug.

"Abby, relax," Ziva laughed. "It's not like we're getting married or something."

"Well, why wait? You may as well start planning now!"

"I think we're fine for now, Abs," Tony said.

"I'm so excited! Ziva, we are having a girl's night tonight; you have to tell me everything! I wanna hear all the details!"

"Um, you know, Abby, that's not really my kind of thing…"

"Oh," the Goth said, not looking downhearted or surprised. "Well, I'm going to the store to pick up some more bacon," she said, and the two men looked at each other. "Why don't you come with?"

Ziva shrugged and followed her Goth friend as she proceeded to leave, tying her hair into pigtails along the way.

**A/N: Hope you liked that. I will post the next chapter probably tomorrow or Monday. McGee/Tony D&M in the next chapter and also some Tiva! Review ~**


	23. Chapter 23

"Wow," McGee remarked, and Tony, who had been watching his lover leave, looked up.

What?" he asked, as if nothing had happened.

"You're finally growing up," he replied, with a goofy grin on his face.

"You can't say that, you're younger than me."

"OK, fine. But answer this: which was better, your undercover assignment five years ago or your first time this time 'round?"

"And why would you want to know that?" Tony asked, a little taken aback at his younger co-worker's words.

"Just…wanna know if she's changed as much as you say she has."

"So this is purely for educational purposes?" Tony asked sarcastically.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, deeply personal questions and interest in my sex life is certainly a new colour on you. And I'm not sure if I like it."

"Just answer the question."

"I can't," Tony stated simply.

"What do you mean you can't?"

"I mean, we haven't…you know, done the deed."

"Why not?"

"We both wanted to do it right, and not be cheaters. We didn't want to wait until we were both available, and make a commitment. That's it. End." Tony began to walk away.

McGee ignored his comment. "What about Gibbs?"

Tony stopped walking but did not turn around.

"What _about _Gibbs?" he asked through his teeth.

"Aren't you nervous about what he's gonna say?"

Tony sighed, facing Tim. "I'm fricken' terrified, Probie," confessed, his voice low, as if someone might hear him. "What if I screw this up? I'd be screwing up the whole team."

"Look, I didn't mean it that way. If you've gotten this far, there's nothing to worry about. We've all been waiting for this day, including Gibbs. Maybe he just doesn't have quite as much enthusiasm as Abby does. But he does trust you. He trusts you more than he trusts any of us. I know he wasn't exactly all for you and EJ but he didn't like her or trusts her, and he loves Ziva, like she was his own daughter. He's protective of her but because it's you, he'll trust you to protect her too. You're not a threat to him, or to her."

"Wow, thanks, McGee," Tony said, slapping the probie on the arm. "You actually made me feel better."

…

Abby and Ziva had done a little window shopping after their trip to the store, so it was around lunchtime when they got back. With a little more than the bacon they had intended to buy, they fixed themselves and the boys some sandwiches, and packed them into a basket, suggested to do so by Abby, who decided they should spend the afternoon soaking up the sun, sand and surf.

Once they were finished unpacking the groceries, Ziva came into the bedroom to find Tony ratting through his suitcase, looking for his board shorts. She placed a plastic bag onto the bed and began searching for her own bathing suit.

"Found 'em!" he exclaimed. "Got any sunblock?"

"There's some in the bag," she said, leaving the room with two bathing suits, probably to ask Abby's opinion (and if Abby knew him well enough, she would pick the one that showed the most skin and the least fabric). Ziva could be such a girl, when she wanted to be.

Tony picked up the sunblock from the bag, and began to slather himself in it. If only he could do this to Ziva. Darn, now he'd never get that thought out of his head.

He remembered her back. It was beautiful, like the rest of her (and as she had once told him, no tan lines). He could imagine rubbing oil over the contours of her bare body, making her moan with pleasure….

_No. Stop it, DiNozzo. _

When Ziva re-entered the room, she had on pants and a T-shirt, despite the heat.

"So you're not swimming?" he asked.

"Oh, I am swimming," she assured him. "Just thought I'd cover up for now." She lowered her voice. "I would not want McGee to feel uncomfortable."

"Mm," he agreed, only half paying attention, like he was trying to get X-ray vision or something.

"Did you see what else was in the bag?" she asked.

He opened it up again, pulling out, of all things, body oil. God, how he loved this owman. Among some other plain old toiletries, there was one other item that caught his attention.

"What's the whipped cream for?" he asked, though he had a vague idea.

"You'll see," she replied, and winked at him as she walked out.

Ziva would be the death of him.

…

The sun, sand and surf turned out to be the combination for a perfect day. Even Abby was lounging in the sun without a parasol. She had, however, put on so much sunblock that she could lay on the surface of the sun and not even get a tan. Her hair was secured in little buns atop her head, and her pale body was stretched out on her skull-adorned beach towel, only covered by a black halter-neck bathing suit. While McGee was having fun gawking at her, Tony was trying his very hardest to keep his eyes on Ziva, who was still wearing a little too much clothing for his liking. But not after long did she jump to her feet and announce she was going in the water. She stepped out of her pants, revealing the legs of a goddess, but left on her very large T-shirt, and raced into the water. It took Tony less than a second to begin chasing after her.

Her curls whipped wildly in the wind, as she sprinted across the sand. She was gaining speed on him, until they were knee-deep in the water, and he tackled her. She gasped when she reached the surface, laughing and pushing him under. He ran a hand across his face and grinned mischievously at her.

"Oh, you're dead, David."

Before she could stop him, he grabbed her small body and threw her over his shoulder. But she could hold her own, and just as a wave was about to hit, she toppled them.

"Wow," he panted. "You that feisty in the bedroom?"

"Guess you'll have to wait and see," she teased, standing up and pulling him to his feet, and into a passionate kiss.

"Jeez," McGee remarked, from their spot on the beach. "Can't those two go five minutes without sucking each other's faces? I haven't seen either of them act like this since…ever."

"I think it's sweet," Abby said, turning the page of her Cosmo. "They're just in their honeymoon phase. They'll get over it."

"I hope so," McGee replied. "Hopefully it's before we get back to work, or Gibbs will slap their heads so hard they won't be able to think straight."

The swimmers were hit by a rather strong wave and fell into the water once again.

"Might be a little late for that," Abby said.

**A/N: Promises delivered! I find myself with a lot of free time and a will to write this weekend so I might just keep on typing. Love scene soon! Next chapter or the one after, and yes, your votes have cast option B, for a longer and more explicit scene. I'll do my best!**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Sorry for the little wait. I'm really nervous here. What I have written is long and detailed without being **_**too **_**specific. I am not experienced in this area so I went off what I know, and what I thought felt fine. So warning for anyone out there reading this, it does contain a sex scene. I'm not sure if it is quite M-worthy. I suppose you will be the judge of that. I would also love to hear any advice of how I did. Like I said, this is my first time at writing anything like this. That aside, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

By the time the sun had met the horizon, the small beach was near deserted. The evening greeted them with warm air but also a cool sea breeze.

"Can I ask you something?" Tony questioned, breaking the comfortable silence as he walked hand in hand along the beach with Ziva.

"Of course," she replied, leaning on his shoulder.

"This isn't just a summer romance, is it? You're not going to forget about it once we get back to, you know, the real world?"

She stopped walking. What has gotten into you? I meant what I said about us being together. I am finished messing around."

"I know, it's just…what are we gonna say to Gibbs?"

She smiled. "You're worried about Gibbs?" she brushed a hand across his cheek.

"The man's so protective of you. When he finds out about this it won't be your head that gets slapped into the next dimension."

"It is sweet of you to worry, but I am not going to. It is Ziva's Rule Number One: Partners come first."

He grinned. "You got a rule for everything now?"

She ignored him and kept talking. "Look, Tony, I care about Gibbs, and I want his approval, but what he thinks is not going to change my mind about this, or about anything," she explained, sitting down on the sand. "And anyway, I'm a grown woman. I can look after myself." He sat himself beside her and she traced shapes on his chest. "I can look after you, too."

She pushed him back, attacking his lips. He pulled her on top of him and she clawed at the sand beneath them with her fingers.

"McGee and Abby went out for dinner again," she whispered. "We have the house to ourselves. Tonight, Tony. Please." Tony looked into the brown eyes of the begging woman, and he knew what he had to do.

…

The room was dark, and the house was still and silent. They were finally along.

Tony's hand rested on Ziva's cheek as they stood at the foot of the bed. The only light was the soft glow of the lamp in the corner of the room. Ziva, not taking her eyes off Tony, reached for the bag containing the body oil and whipped cream – two items that earlier, had excited Tony to no end – but he stopped her.

"No. I have had that fantasy a million times on my own," he admitted. "It can wait. Tonight's not the night we play it out."

She looked disheartened.

He brought his lips right to her ear and whispered: "Tonight, Ziva David, I'm going to make love to you."

She threw herself into his embrace, their lips finding each other in the darkness. His hands were tangled in her hear, and soon their action was fuelled solely by their desire. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, and she jumped at the new sensation. His hands moves down her back, over her shirt, and his fingers began to learn and memorise the delicate shapes of her body as they danced across her skin.

Tony's chest was bare, and she playing with his hair, before he pulled off her T-shirt. She felt his hands fun all over her newly exposed skin, over her stomach, shoulders and back.

"You can touch, Tony," she said sensually, stepping away and turning, lifting her hair out of the way so she could pull loose the straps of her bikini, letting it fall to the floor. She carefully reached back and guided his hands to her stomach, where they trailed a shaky path to her bare breasts. She let her head fall back in pleasure.

"Tony," she gasped.

Her voice set alight a fire in the pits of his stomach. He turned her and kissed her fiercely, and pushed her onto the soft bed, but she quickly rolled them over.

"You know I like it on top," she told him.

"How could I forget?"

Over time, the rest of their garments joined Ziva's T-shirt and bikini top on the floor. It may have been years (and Tony's stomach may have gotten a little bigger) since they were last exposed to each other like this, but neither felt a sliver of shame, not for one moment.

"You're beautiful," he gasped at the sight of her naked being, touching her silky skin again. She lay against him, feeling his heartbeat pound against her cheek.

"I love you so much," she replied, and together, they closed the final gap.

Waves and waves of the sweetest pleasure either of them had ever known came crashing down uncontrollably. And when it was over, they both collapsed, side by side, on the mattress.

"You know, you don't need to go mentioning this to anyone," Tony panted. "I do have a reputation to protect."

"Well, your reputation is safe," she replied. "That was…"

"Incredible? Amazing? The best you've ever had?" he guessed.

"Perfect," she laughed.

…

Who knew Tony DiNozzo was a cuddler?

But Ziva had to admit, the feeling of their bodies touching the way they had that night was something she would never, ever tire of. His arms reached around her, pulling her close to him. Their bodies fit together like two puzzle pieces. He nuzzled, her neck and she laughed. He loved hearing her laugh.

Of course their perfect little pleasure bubble was destroyed when engine noises were heard from outside. They both leapt to their feet and pulled on whatever clothes they could find, rushing out to the couch and flicking the TV on just as McGee and Abby walked in the door.

"How was dinner?" Ziva asked, though she knew her flushed face and messy hair were two reasons they would know she and Tony had been up to something.

"Good," Abby replied. "But I'm going to bed. Night, everyone." She waved and retreated to her room.

Knowing she wouldn't be able to go unquestioned the way she was looking much longer, she too went to bed, but whispered in Tony's ear.

"If you can be quiet this time maybe I _will _break out the whipped cream."

He gulped and she smiled to herself, satisfied.

"So, how was your night?" McGee asked, sitting down on the sofa next to Tony.

"Yeah, fine," he said, partially still hung up on what Ziva said, and partially concentrating on lying well. "Yours?"

"Good. Really good, actually."

"Why, what happened?"

"You inspired me, Tony," McGee smiled.

"What are ya talking about, McGee?"

"I kissed her. I kissed Abby."

…

**A/N: Hope you guys thought that was alright? Again, I would love feedback and reviews, just to know how to handle this in the future. Thanks, guys!**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: I know, I know, I've been universally absent. I'm sorry! School's just been hectic. Thank you all so much for your feedback on Chapter 24, I really appreciate the kind words and whatnot. I was so nervous. What became of that chapter was like nothing I have ever written before and I was so pleased that you all liked it. And wow, we are quite close to 300 reviews, too! I am really proud of that. Thanks, guys! **

**Also, I just watched Bloodbath, Jeopardy and both parts of Hiatus, so sorry if Ziva seems a little…season 3-ish in her dialogue. **

"You kissed her?" Tony asked, stunned at Tim's courage, both to Abby and the consequences in the future when he would have Gibbs to deal with. "What happened?"

"Well, I just did it," McGee replied, a proud smile on his face. "She grinned at me, asked for the cheque and we left straight away."

"Then what are you doing over here, get in there!" Tony grinned, slapping his friend on the back. "Time to collect, my friend." With that, he retreated to the bedroom with his partner to enjoy their newly consummated relationship and post-sex cuddling possibly.

"What did you and McGee talk about?" Ziva asked.

He smiled cockily. "I may just be the world's greatest matchmaker," he told her, looking up at the ceiling. "Love-maker is a close second to that," he said.

"Now there, I may have to agree with you," she said, knowing it would go to his head, but not really caring. "So, in the mood for some whipped cream?"

"I don't know…I'm kinda tired," he said. "Sex with you is like…well, it's tiring."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"My stamina isn't quite what it used to be."

She frowned at him with a smile.

"That makes me sound old, doesn't it?"

She laughed, fingering his scalp. "Is that a grey hair?" she teased.

"Not funny," he told her.

She tried to look innocent, and held up the canned dairy product. "It was cheap because it expires on the day after tomorrow."

"Guess we better use it, then."

…

The next morning at breakfast Tony kept eyeing McGee, trying to read the younger man's thoughts in some way. So far he had been unsuccessful.

"So, how did everyone sleep last night?" he asked, quite a pathetic attempt at retrieving information.

"Just fine," Ziva muttered, and winked at him, to which he grinned.

"Great," Abby answered with a big smile, and stretched her arms out. Tony quickly glanced at Tim, who gave him a very small and subtle nod. Tony telepathically sent him a thumbs-up. McGee was like his pesky little brother, but brotherhood was a strong bond. He was proud of him. His little Probie was finally growing up.

…

"Ziva, can I talk to you?" Abby asked as the two women loaded their dirty laundry into the washing machine.

Ziva looked up at her friend. "Of course, Abby. What's wrong?"

"You know this whole thing with you and Tony?" she asked, shuffling from side to side a little, twiddling her thumbs and chewing her lip like she always did when she was unsure of something.

"Yes…" Ziva replied, getting a little concerned. "Is there a problem?"

"No, no, of course not," the Goth quickly assured her. "It's just…how are you going to handle things? You know, with Gibbs and Rule Twelve and everything?"

Ziva closed the door of the front loader and stood up, her height nearly matching Abby's without her gigantic platforms on. "You looking for advice?" she joked.

Abby chewed her lip again, hoping desperately for a positive reaction, which is ultimately what she got.

"Abby, I am proud of you!" Ziva said happily, placing a congratulatory hand on Abby's shoulder. "Good for you."

"Thanks," Abby said. "Um, so…advice?"

"Right," Ziva huffed, placing her hands on her hips and frowning in concentration. "For your situation, I think you should be the one to tell him. Who knows what he would do to McGee."

They both shuddered at the very thought.

"Still, you are the favourite. I am not sure how well he would react at the thought of his 'Little Angel' finally growing up."

"So do I tell him or not?"

Ziva considered this for a moment. "Well, pretend that you are me, and you are trying to give you some advice. What do you tell yourself?"

Abby paused. "What?"

"I don't know."

"OK, we need to look at this from a new angle, for both of us."

"I agree," Ziva said. "I feel like we need a flow chart or something."

"No. A flow chart isn't what we need. What we need is…" Abby hesitated.

"I know what you are going to say," Ziva interrupted.

"And I am regretting the idea already," she finished.

"I think it may be our only option."

The girls looked at each other, and spoke the word that was on both of their lips in complete unison: "Campfire."

…

"I hereby call this campfire to order!" Tony announced as the other three sat in the living room while he stood at the front.

"Tony, this isn't work, you don't have to—" McGee tried to say, but was interrupted.

"Our problem is: we need a tactic of how to inform Gibbs of our newly established summer romances," followed by a murmur of, "Congratulations on that by the way, McGee," and an impressed expression. "We need a solution. Ideas: go."

"Why don't we just tell him all at once? Get it all out of the way?" Abby suggested.

"I dunno, Abs. Too much too fast could result in some serious head-slapping…or other types of physical violence in more sensitive parts of the body," Tony declined.

"I think the girls should do it," McGee said.

"You're scared!" Abby accused playfully.

"I am not scared, I am just…" He looked sheepish under Abby and Ziva's amused grins and Tony's doubtful stare. "OK, maybe I'm a little scared. Gibbs has tried to kill me for a whole lot less."

"We're looking at this the wrong way," Tony concluded. "Maybe Gibbs should be seen as not the problem, but part of the solution."

"What do you mean, Tony?" Ziva asked.

"We wanna be happy, right?" The other three nodded like little puppets. "And we want Gibbs to be happy, because we care about Gibbs' happiness, right?" Again, they nodded. "So, we find a way to make him see this as a step forward rather than an issue that needs to be dealt with."

"And how do you propose we do that?" Ziva questioned, sceptically.

Tony sat down. "I've got no freaking idea."

**A/N: I'll try to update quicker next time. In the meantime, reviews!**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Hey, guys! Sorry for the delay, I've been away with family and doing performances all over the place! Here's your new chapter – a little warning for themes, not too serious.**

"_I've got no freaking idea."_

Tony's words rand clear and the campfire fell silent.

"Tony, don't worry," Abby said comfortingly. "We still have just over a week to worry about this."

"Yeah," McGee agreed. "Let's just go down to the beach or something."

"'Kay," he replied half-heartedly, and the circle broke apart.

It did worry him, though, and for many reasons too. For one, he didn't know how to handle this. He really had no idea. That didn't happen often. Was he afraid? No, no, of course not. That couldn't be right.

"_You ever seen me afraid?"_

"_Not when the danger is something we can confront."_

How to confront this? Last time round, he knew he had caused some damage to his relationship with Gibbs. Sure, this time It was different and it meant so much more, but Gibbs wasn't being betrayed once, but four times.

Tony cared about his boss. He was Gibbs' right-hand man and the two had a very strong friendship, but would that be enough to convince the older man that this whole ordeal was for the greater good, and that in some circumstances, it was OK, maybe even better, to break the rules? He still considered them – McGee, Abby, Ziva – his team. He had to lead them somewhere, through the hard times and, well, the harder times. Question was, which category did this fall into?

"Do you really think we can change his mind about this?" Tony asked McGee as they carried all the girl's things across the beach while they ran off to find a ood spot.

"Who, Gibbs?" McGee replied. "Maybe."

"He hated it when I went out with EJ."

"No, I think he just hated EJ," McGee said, and Tony shot him a look.

"Think about it, Gibbs' main technique to get what he wants is intimidation. She wasn't afraid of him, and he didn't trust her. Plus, Abby didn't like her and that probably didn't help her case."

"So you think he was pissed at me for having bad taste?"

"I think that this isn't the craziest thing you've ever done. He wants you to be happy, and he wants Ziva to be happy. This is more important, and he understands why you're doing it. No offence or anything, but with EJ it was tricky to see the appeal sometimes."

Tony ignored the insult to his former girlfriend and kept talking. "You know, sometimes I think he's just trying to create another version of himself. Someone to man the fort once he's gone."

"And you don't want that," McGee concluded from his tone.

"I respect Gibbs more than anyone but…"

"You don't wanna be him."

Before Tony could say anything more, Abby called for them to hurry up.

"Coming!" McGee replied, and jogged away.

"Good talk," Tony muttered and followed behind.

…

"Feeling any better about this whole Gibbs thing?" Ziva asked Tony as he brushed his teeth later that night.

He rinsed his mouth and shrugged. "I'm done messing around now. The only thing I want is a normal relationship. He's just gonna have to deal with that."

"Goodnight, Tony," she said, and he kissed her before she made her way into the bedroom.

Sleep came easily at first, but it did not last long. Ziva lay wide awake, unmoving as her mind stirred.

"You know, it's gonna be hard to sleep with your eyes open," Tony commented. Ziva blinked. She was facing away from him. He did he know?

"How did you – "

"You don't look like that when you're sleeping. And you don't grip the covers till your knuckles are white." He stared up at the ceiling while he spoke.

Realising that was exactly what she was doing, she removed her hand from its vice-like grip on the sheets and let it fall next to her love's. He intertwined their fingers.

"You watch me sleep?" she asked.

"Yeah," he answered. "You look different. Happier. Innocent, almost."

"Not always," she said softly.

He turned towards her, releasing her hand and reaching forward to touch her cheek. "What's up?" he asked. He had been sensing from the start of their conversation that something was wrong.

"I was just thinking about what you said before…about wanting a normal relationship?" She paused, apprehensive to continue. "If _this _is what you want, then you have to know that I…I can't give you that."

He frowned, unsure of what she meant.

"Tony," she sat up, and he followed her actions. "I am not the person everyone thinks I am. I am not nearly as together as I seem."

"Ziva, I – " He tried to say. She had obviously been thinking pretty hard about this, and it was worrying him.

"I still have nightmares," she confessed. She hung her head, almost in shame. When she spoke again it was much, much quieter. "I still wake up screaming, terrified, thinking I'm _there_ again, but this time no one is going to save me."

"Have you…have you spoken to someone?"

"Of course I have. But I just end up feeling like a crazy person. I put up this wall of defences because I needed everyone to think that I was OK, when really the only thing keeping me sane was having my family back. I kept wanting to just break down but there was always one memory that reminded me I had to stay strong, because if I survived that, I could survive whatever else I was going to go through."

She closed her eyes and a single tear fell. It was the worst day of her captivity, and probably her life.

"_I think it is time we put you to use, Officer David," Saleem told her as he stormed into the room that had become her prison._

"_And how would _I _be of use of use to _you?" _she spat. "I told you that I would not talk."_

"_Oh, you will talk," he said in an evil tone. "It would be a shame to hit that pretty face of yours again after it has just started to heal."_

"_Do what you want, I still will not say anything." He wanted her family, and he was not going to get them._

"_Then I suppose your body is mine," he said, reaching out to touch her. She tried to fight him, but her hands and feet were bound too tightly._

"_Officer David," he addressed her, kneeling in front of her. "I have at least twenty men out there who have not laid eyes on a woman in many, many months, and would hurt you a lot more than I would. Or of course, you could tell me what I want to know. Your decision."_

_Ziva swallowed, saliva running down her dry throat. She had no other choice._

She watched his eyes widen; his face morph into an expression of shock.

"Did he…" Tony tried to ask, but couldn't bring himself to form the words.

"Yes," she whispered.

"Why didn't you talk?"

"I did what I had to do to protect my family," she told him. "He never carried out his threat. He did not have the time before you, and Gibbs and McGee showed up."

"So he just…violated you?" Tony asked, his anger growing.

"Tony, I did not tell you this to upset you, I told you because it scarred me, maybe forever. I don't want to give you that burden. You deserve better. And maybe, maybe you are just in love with the idea of being with someone. I am not the person you feel for, and I am not your ninja anymore."

"Ziva, stop!" he snapped. "You're overreacting. If I wasn't willing to commit to every little part of you then I would never have gotten us wrapped up in all of this. You. Are not. A burden. And I. Will. Always. Love you. I'm not going anywhere, and you can't say anything to me that'll change my mind. And, you know what? You'll always be my ninja."

She fell into his arms, and he held her closely, feeling her heart thump against his chest. "I will never walk out that door, understand?"

She fell asleep in his arms that night, and he watched her sleep again. It was that night he realised that maybe some things were forever. Whatever she said, whatever she did, he'd never forget this feeling. He loved her, and now that was all that mattered.

**A/N: I'm not sure how happy I am with this, but I hope you guys liked it anyway :)**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: So wow we hit 300 reviews! That's absolutely incredible and I can't thank you all enough for the support. You guys are so awesome and I love you all!**

For a girl like Abby—a girl who never slept, never had any time for herself—it came as a surprise just how much she found herself enjoying waking up in the middle of the morning. It was something she could very easily get used to, though she knew she shouldn't.

Sunlight poured in through the small window, the blinds basically powerless against its morning glow. The Goth's pale body was sprawled across the mattress, with one of McGee's arms draped across her shoulders, the other resting comfortably on her thigh. In the warmth of the night she had kicked away the covers and they were bunched up by their feet, leaving them exposed— Abby in her tiny black silk shorts and sheer camisole and McGee in his boxers.

He was staring up at the old fan, which made a monotonous whirring noise as it went round and round, when Abby finally smiled up at him.

"Morning," he said with a grin, kissing her nose.

She stretched and groaned. "Morning, Timmy," she replied, and pulled him closer for a real kiss. He smiled even bigger against her pale lips, and pulled her on top of him, and she giggled loudly.

"Sh," he murmured. "I don't wanna wake Tony and Ziva. Noise circulates really well in this house."

"You didn't seem to mind last night," she replied, an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, well neither did _they_. God knows what time they finally stopped."

"I think it's sweet," she commented, sitting up straight as she straddled his stomach.

"But you could sleep through World War III if you wanted to."

"You're right," she said thoughtfully. "I should sleep more often."

…

When Tony woke up alone, he was instantly worried. After last night, he wasn't sure how she was gonna act. It had obviously been a big deal for her, opening up to him like that. She never talked about it. After last night, he didn't blame her. He saw something in her eyes, even in the low light, that he hadn't seen since the day they rescued her: that look of sheer panic and terror. It was so unfamiliar to her, and it was what worried him the most.

He was relieved when he found her sitting on the sofa. She was staring at the TV, but it was turned off. She was still in her PJs, and in her hand was a long, thin glass with a straw poking out of it.

"Are you drinking ice tea?" he asked, just speaking his mind, and feeling a little stupid for starting the conversation like that.

"It's lemonade actually," she replied, not moving.

He took another cautious step forward, the tiled floor pleasantly cold on his bare feet. "You OK?"

"Fine," she answered simply, taking another sip from her straw. "Just thinking."

"About?"

"Life. You, us, Gibbs, the future, the past."

He tiptoed around the edge of the sofa and sat down next to her. She didn't look at him, in fact she barely moved. He studied her body language. She was relaxing into the leather sofa, her legs crossed, and a gentle grip on her glass. Her jaw was loose and her lips were slightly parted. Her eyes were a little glassy. She wasn't angry. But something was off.

"You're really not OK, are you?" He spoke softly, and squinted his eyes just a little. She just stirred her straw around, creating a mini whirlpool in her lemony beverage.

"Opening up old wounds hurts, but I will get over it."

Tony placed a hand over hers. "Thanks for telling me. I know it was hard for you to talk about it."

"You got so upset by it, I – "

"I shouldn't have, it was selfish of me, and I'm sorry."

She looked at him, and now her brown eyes were bright. Her lips brushed against his cheek. "Thank you, Tony."

In the arms of the man she had trusted for so long, she was every day surprised at how easy it was to be with him. It was true what optimists believe: people really can change. He was so understanding, so loving. He really made her happy. She had lost that feeling of confliction she had had on her shoulders for so long. Now it was just confidence that she had made the right choice. She must have known deep down that it was always going to be either Ray or Tony that stayed in her life, and truthfully the odds had been against the CIA Agent from the start.

…

**A/N: Soooo…I know this chapter was short, sorry! I think this story may be coming to a close soon, so I'm thinking this'll be about 30 chapters.  
>(Unless you guys have any specific demands?)<strong>


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: Hello, my fabulous readers! I apologise for the brief hiatus, I was on holiday with my family. I've got two more vacations in the next month but not to worry because I was able to finish off the story while I was away. Please be sure to read the A/N at the bottom, it's important. k enjoy :)**

Ask any of the four, the first six of their days in Miami were nothing short of drama-filled, especially for Tony and Ziva. But Ziva felt, and knew Tony agreed, that if it were necessary she would go back and do it all over again – the fights, the tears, the adultery; all of it.

Being in Miami was, as ridiculous as it sounded, almost like being in another world, away from work, away from Gibbs and away from his rules. It was as if they had stepped into _A Midsummer Night's Dream. _One can be happily in love one day, and the next fall for another. The damage six short days had done was simply astounding, and it took only half of that for Tony to admit what he had battled with for years: his love for Ziva.

Originally, Tony, Ziva, EJ and Ray had all ended up under one roof by some spontaneous invitation, blurred by a haze of optimism; optimism that the dysfunctional foursome could possibly survive even twenty four hours without some kind of drama arising. And of course this optimism had fooled them all. It simply could not be done.

Under normal circumstances, things might have ended up quite differently. But when a person cares for another person, it changes the way they behave. Tony was and always had been rude to Ray, but he invited him because they both cared about Ziva. Tony went along for that same reason, and EJ, well EJ just had a lot of mood swings. It was obvious that this holiday would end up a disaster, but they all, by some unknown force, went along for the ride. Tony, for one, thanked this mysterious force from the bottom of his heart. God knows where he would be without it.

But despite the mess they had made, many, many things emerged from those first six days: relationships that would last, and lessons that could unfortunately only be learned the hard way. They all learned that some things are just meant to happen, and you can't fight the Universe, because it'll pull out all the stops to fight you back. They learned that perhaps there is a silver lining to every cloud, and most importantly, they learned that sometimes even the most ridiculous deeds are necessary to put you in your place in life.

But with all that out of the way, the four NCIS employees and friends were able to share eight carefree days together at the end of it all. For the little time off the government-employed citizens got, it was all they really needed, and they made the most of it.

One and a half of those days were drenched by rain and thunderstorms. Funnily enough, Tony and Ziva were walking along the beach when the first drops struck the beachside city. They watched the clouds get blacker and blacker as they walked hand in hand across the sandy beach in silence. But when the first drops fell, Tony swooped Ziva up in his arms and bounded into the freezing ocean, kissing her passionately in the waves as he had done once before. He opened his eyes as their lips parted just the slightest, pushing her wet, sandy hair off her face and looking into her eyes, but they both burst into laughter.

The second day of the storms was declared an official movie marathon by the entire party. A large pile of DVDs was rented, and eventually, watched. The foursome snuggled up on the sofa as raindrops tumbled down the window panes, not a care in the world. Abby fell asleep in Tim's arms, her eyes a little teary because they had just finished a particularly emotional chick flick, and her jet black hair loose. McGee had been more than a little emotionally affected by the movie, but he would never in a million years admit it. He would never hear the end of it from Tony. After all, some things never change. He looked over at the Senior Field Agent who cocked and eyebrow.

"What's the matter, McGee? Movie a little too sad for ya?" he teased, and McGee just grinned.

The day after, it wasn't raining but the overcast sky did not match plans for a day at the beach, so Tim suggested they go bowling. They all seemed enthusiastic enough about the idea, especially Abby, who when asked by an in-house instructor where she had learned to bowl like that, answered simply, "Nuns," and the man nodded, confused.

When Ziva said she had never actually been bowling Tony launched into one of his trademark rants about American culture.

"How long have you lived in this country? Have I not taught you anything?" he asked her, rhetorically. Then he realised the obvious advantage on his part.

He picked up his ball, the heaviest among the group's, and turned to Ziva.

"Step up to the line, swing back, forward, and release," he demonstrated as he spoke, and his navy-coloured ball knocked down all ten pins. He punched the air like a college student would. "Strike three in a row for DiNozzo!"

Ziva smirked and stepped up to the rack of balls.

"You'd probably wanna take McGee's ball, it's the lightest—" Tony tried to both suggest and tease at the same time, but trailed off when she picked up his ball, and with great ease too.

"Uh, so just ease it back…" Tony instructed unsurely, trying to hold her and help her, but she swung and released with ease, knocking down most of the pins. She smiled proudly, and Abby gave her a thumbs-up, while Tony pouted and McGee laughed at the older man's expense.

The following morning, the sun was out and the weather forecast declared it would stay that way, so they decided to make the most of it at the beach. While it was the computer geeks' turns in the water, the other couple lay sprawled on their towels on the sun.

"Well," Tony said, staring at the sky through his sunglasses. "This vacation may have sucked to begin with but it's certainly filled out the checklist for a good holiday. It's got all the S's."

"Sun, sand and surf?" Ziva questioned, smiling.

"Correct, but you forgot the fourth S."

Ziva laughed heartily. "Sex?"

"I was gonna say Abby's sandwiches but yours works."

"Well, those sound like your favourite S words."

"Huh." He paused, and rolled over to face her. "Did I ever tell you about my 1987—"

"If your next two words are 'spring' and 'break' you may as well stop now, before I castrate you."

_Oh well, _Tony thought to himself. _She never did like my spring break stories._ He clicked his camera on Ziva's perfect being a few times.

"For the archives," he told her, and she rolled her eyes.

The rest of those carefree days passed quicker than they all thought they would, and soon enough, home was calling. Sure, it would be good to be back in D.C., but home meant work, and work only meant one thing:

Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

**So, since I have actually written the rest of the story, so would you prefer 30 chapters with chapter 30 being twice as long as normal or 31 chapters? Majority rules, as always :) **

**Also, if I can get ten reviews in the next five hours (which is 7PM AEST for me) I'll update!**


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: OK so we were a few reviews short of the goal but I just gained 2 followers on tumbr so I'm feeling generous. So far the votes are with the extra long chapter thirty (and I would kinda agree because 31 isn't exactly a round number) but it's up to you guys! Please review, though. Can we get to 330 reviews by the time I wake up in the morning? **

As the plane touched down in D.C. that Sunday evening, they were all suddenly back in the real world. No one's feelings had changed since that morning; they were all as in love as ever, but their previous apprehension towards facing Gibbs had started to really sink in. In twelve hours he would stroll into the bullpen like it was any other ordinary morning and then…well, it wouldn't be.

To make things worse, it was Tony and Ziva's first night apart since they had officially gotten together, and she really liked sleeping next to him. He invited her to stay over, but she declined.

"I won't have anything to wear," she explained.

"You keep a spare change of clothes in your car, don't you?"

She gasped. "You're right!" This was true. She had kept a spare change of clothes with her at all time ever since her first week at NCIS, when she had been forced to crawl through a dump truck full of dirt and then pushed into a fountain. "I will meet you at your apartment in an hour," she said, and raced ahead to find her Mini Cooper, dumping her suitcase in the back, praising herself inwardly for her preparation, and drove off.

The realness of being back in D.C. sunk into her some more as she slept in his arms that night. This was real. _They _were real. She had her something permanent, it was all she needed.

"Are you awake?" she heard him whisper in the darkness.

She climbed on top of him in response, giving him a gentle kiss and then leaning her head on his chest.

"Can't sleep?" she asked him.

"Just thinking."

She smiled against his skin. She had given the same answer to him a hundred times, but she had to know more. "About what?"

He sighed, and wriggled beneath her, signalling for her to move a little so he could prop himself up on his elbows.

"You know I'm not fooling around, right? I know you're not either but…is this what you want? You know, permanently?"

Her lips parted a little at his statement. She knew that commitment scared him off; she was almost surprised to hear him say it. She took his hand. "It is," was her simple answer.

"Then maybe I should give you this," he whispered, flicking on a lamp, and handing her a small box.

Her chocolate orbs lit up in a way he had never seen before. Could this be happening?

"Ziva David, I…I wanna marry you. I wanna be with you forever. I love you, and I can't think of a better way to spend the rest of my life."

He was never the best at speeches, but he hoped what he had said was adequate. It had to be right.

He rubbed her arm. "Look, I know it's only been a week and a half, and we don't have to do anything right away, and I know they say not to rush in to these things but I don't wanna be a few years down the road and feel obligated because I _want _to do this—"

"Yes."

"What?" he asked. He was sure he hadn't heard right.

"Yes," she repeated as a grin emerged on her face. And he kissed her with more passion than she had ever felt before.

Before they made love, he slipped the diamond ring onto her finger. It was a perfect fit. Go figure.

…

Morning came quicker than they wanted it to, for their night had just been too perfect. They didn't want it to end. But then the thought, that maybe every night could be this perfect managed to drag them out of bed.

"So," he said to her. "We're engaged."

"Yes," she replied. It was all she said.

"Ziva, you know we don't have to go rushing into things if you don't want to. We can wait a year or two if you want."

"Tony, I would not have said yes if I did not mean it. Though we probably should wait a little while. But come on, we will be late, and we need to be in Gibbs' good books as much as possible today."

The day before, prior to departing on their separate flights, they had agreed with McGee and Abby that they would all arrive in her lab at 0630 sharp, giving them a half hour to come up with a suitable game plan. Abby called to make sure they were up, having naturally assumed Ziva would be there, and they said everything was fine, deciding not to 'spill the corn', as Ziva put it, about their engagement just yet.

OK, it was pretty crazy to propose this quick, but when it's right, it's right. Tony believed, that was all there was to it. And they didn't have to get married right away. When they were both ready, and the time was right, they'd tie the knot. Simple enough, right?

…

"Mornin', Boss," Tony called when Gibbs emerged from the elevator, coffee in hand as per normal. Ziva, McGee and Abby, who was currently residing behind McGee's desk, all jumped.

"Mornin', DiNozzo," he greeted back, chirpily enough for Gibbs. "Good to have you back. Ziver. McGee." He paused at McGee's desk. "Abs. What're you doing up here?"

"We kinda, uh, had somethin' we wanted to talk to you about, Boss," Tony said, slowly rising from his chair. Gibbs turned towards him, and eyebrow raised.

"By some weird stroke of fate, we all ended up vacationing together these past few weeks," Abby continued, sticking strictly to the script they had prepared earlier.

"We cannot blame fate for what lies in our hands, Abigail," they all heard an English voice chirp, and five head turns later found Ducky standing in the bullpen. "I just called your lab, looking for you."

"Ducky, we're kinda in the middle of something here," Abby said apologetically.

Ducky sensed the serious mood in the room. "Oh. I'll just go then. I'm sure it can wait."

"Ducky, wait!" McGee called, and the other three shot him a look. Ducky was not in their script. "Saves us two trips," he justified, and they all shrugged.

"So we were vacationing together, and, um…" Abby clammed up. She couldn't break it to Gibbs. He was a tough guy, and he said things how they were, but she was his princess, and a part of her wanted things to stay that way. She looked to Ziva, who understood.

"Let's just say," she chimed in, with the save, standing up, and clasping her hands together like she did when she was nervous. "Certain rules may have been…compromised."

Gibbs took two intimidating paces towards the Israeli. "Like what, Special Agent David?"

"Like…Rule Number Twelve, Boss," Tony took over.

Gibbs was still. He ran a hand over his face. A brief silence overtook the bullpen, and McGee clasped Abby's hand in the suspense.

Gibbs gestured to Ziva and Tony. "You two," he said, beckoning for them to follow him.

McGee exhaled in relief.

"You're next, McGee," the silver-haired man added on his way out.

McGee tensed up again instantly, and Abby stroked his arm.

"Well I think he took that rather well," Ducky commented.

"You think?" Abby asked, hoping Ducky wasn't lying for her benefit.

"He just wants you to be happy, my dear," the Scotsman said, and Abby's cheeks went pink. "As do I." He turned to McGee. "Well done, my boy."


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: Well, the votes were unanimous, so here is your final chapter, all 2469 words of it!**

The doors sealed the three agents into the metal cage and the emergency switch was flicked with haste by Gibbs' experienced hand. Tony took Ziva's in his, standing in front of her just the slightest, as if trying to protect her.

"I know what you are thinking, Gibbs," Ziva said, trying to justify their actions. "And it is probably that we are crazy but it doesn't matter because—"

"I wasn't thinking that, Ziver," he told her, deliberately using her special nickname. "I was thinking that you look really happy."

Gibbs' hand rested on her shoulder and he smiled down at her. She grinned back at him, relieved after all the worrying they did that she'd lose him as a friend, a source of trust, and most importantly as a father. But she hadn't lost him. He just looked like a dad who was proud of his girl.

"But what about Rule Number Twelve, Boss? Aren't you mad?" Tony asked, bewildered that he hadn't already been head-slapped to the point of unconsciousness - and almost asking for it by ruining the moment.

"I depend on you both, but you don't wanna end up like me. You can have as many one night stands as you like, but you only get one shot at something good." He turned away from them, flicked the switch and the elevator began to move again. "Don't screw it up."

The doors opened at the third floor once again, and McGee and Abby's nerves were eased when Ziva walked out with a grin on her face, sitting cheerily back at her desk. Tony went to follow her, beaming, but Gibbs stopped him, and his newly confident grin quickly faded.

"You hurt her, DiNozzo, and I swear to God—" he threatened

"You'll slap me into the next millennium, got it Boss. Don't worry, I won't."

Gibbs took a step back. "Nope. I know you won't, Tony. We've all waited too long to watch you screw it up now."

As he walked towards the waiting couple, Gibbs called out one more thing to the others: "And don't think I didn't notice the ring!"

"What ring?" Abby asked, her eyes going wide when she spotted the diamond on Ziva's finger. She gasped loudly and bounded across the squad room to admire it up close, nearly knocking over Gibbs, McGee and Ducky on the way.

"Oh, it's beautiful! Congratulations!" She wrapped her friend in the tightest of hugs, then turned and punched Tony in the arm.

"Ow!" he said, rubbing it. "What was that for?"

"For not telling me you were going to propose!" She turned back to Ziva and practically switched personalities. "How did he do it? Did he get down on one knee?"

"Abs," Gibbs said, bursting her bubble, cocking his head towards McGee's desk. She slunk over there, whispering to Ziva, "We'll talk later."

Ziva laughed as Tony came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. She admired the diamond ring herself, splaying her fingers out to let it sparkle in the light pouring in from the skylight above them.

"It _is_ very nice," she said approvingly.

"Not to mention expensive," Tony muttered. "I got it on the way home from the airport." He leaned forward, speaking into her ear. "Had a feeling I'd need it."

"Well," she examined it closely, "you got your money's worth."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Never doubt an Israeli about diamonds, Tony."

Before they could listen in on what seemed like a similar conversation between McGee, Abby and Gibbs, Ducky approached the engaged couple.

"I do believe congratulations are in order," the Scotsman said jubiantly, taking Ziva's right hand and kissing it. "Congratulations, my dear. And to you too, Antony. You two have certainly found your places. In quite a short amount of time, it seems."

"Yes we have, Ducky," Ziva replied with a laugh as Tony kissed her cheek. "Thank you."

After things had been completely smoothed over with Gibbs (and the appropriate threats given to Tony as well as McGee should things turn bad, though that was extremely unlikely), Ducky approached his old friend.

"Jethro, I know Abby's the one you'll worry about the most; Ziva can look after herself, but I do hope you weren't too hard on them." They both looked over to the laughing partners. "I haven't seen her so happy in such a long time." Ducky was right. They were laughing and talking. Tony was happy without hiding behind the face of a clown. He had everything he wanted. "We all knew this day was coming, Jethro.. And they deserve to be happy, don't they? They are good agents, and they are simply in love. I'm sure you know the feeling."

Ducky was right again. Gibbs remembered the way his heart used to melt whenever he set eyes on Shannon, or caught a whiff of her strawberry shampoo or a glimpse of her milky white skin.

Gibbs took a look around the squad room. Its orange walls may have stayed the same colour over the years, but they held many stories; sad ones, joyous ones and everything in between. This was the place they saved lives and cracked cases. This was the place they ate late-night Chinese and suspicious-looking sandwiches. This was the place they stayed late at night doing piles and piles of paperwork and fell asleep at their desks. This was the place where they started as separate people and became a team. This place was home away from home. And right now his team were there, and they were all happy. He cared about them all, more than he cared to admit, and he wanted them to learn from his mistakes.

Gibbs' Rules may have worked for Gibbs, but everyone needed a code they could live by. If Shannon had taught him one thing in their years together, it was that, and he learned it in the first minute they met. If Rule Number Twelve wasn't on his agents' agendas, then he would just have to live with it. They may have been like his kids, but all kids have to grow up one day. And sure as hell, he would be there for everything he could. He would be there to walk Ziva down the aisle, and he would be there to hold Abby's hand when she had kids of her own. And Ziva too, someday.

His resolution was interrupted when his cell phone rang. Another day, another case, just like always.

"Got it," he mumbled, and flipped it shut.

"Grab our gear, Boss?" Tony asked.

"You got it, DiNozzo," Gibbs replied, leading his team out of the squad room. McGee kissed Abby on the cheek as he left. The boss tossed the keys to the truck in the air and they all made a scramble for them, Ziva emerging victorious.

"Oh no, hand 'em over, David," Tony said, stepping forward and leaning over her a little bit, using the fact that she was noticeably shorter than him as grounds for intimidation. "I'm pulling rank on you."

His plans failed miserably.

"Really? Because I have a feeling you will let me have them."

"And why's that?"

"Because you want to get lucky tonight." She winked.

He frowned. "That is sexual blackmail!" he said in a hushed tone.

She smiled. "I know."

"OK, just so we're clear," Tony said, and pouted. McGee patted the Senior Field Agent on the back. "Look, if you manage not to die, you'll get lucky tonight." That certainly cheered him up. But the blackmail thing was smart, and Tim held his hand out for Ziva to high five. He could only hope Abby didn't find out about that, or it would be used against him.

They piled into the elevator and Gibbs smiled as the doors closed again.

After all, some things never change.

…

The next year passed slowly but soundly, fall came and went, and Thanksgiving and Christmas flew by. The couples eliminated the no-presents rule, and exchanged extravagant gifts. It was living at its easiest. Well, as easy as it got when you get shot at every other week.

One spring afternoon, Tony and Ziva were called down to Abby's lab. McGee was already down there, and when they shot him a questioning look, but he shrugged. He didn't know what was going on either.

"So," she began, rather loudly. "I know we all have some vacation time coming up, and in honour of our joined anniversaries, I got us all tickets to—wait for it—Las Vegas!"

The small group erupted in cheers for the Goth.

"Two fun-filled weeks!"

"Abby you are the best!" McGee exclaimed, and kissed her on the cheek.

"Ah, Vegas," Tony mused. "Casinos, bars, not to mention the strip clubs…" Ziva shot him a look. "Which of course I won't be going to."

Though it was not long before things got out of hand.

McGee and Abby got married, which was hilarious to Tony and Ziva, who had stayed sober the night before. The married couple fell asleep in the wrong hotel room, veil and all. Ziva guessed they would get divorced once they got back but they ended up holding a huge reception and staying married. Tony and Ziva, had married six weeks earlier, in March; a spring wedding.

Those two weeks were the birth of a tradition, that every summer the four would take a vacation together. The tradition lasted twelve years, including Miami and Vegas (with the exception of 2013, when Abby and McGee's twins, only a month old, were too young to leave. Tony and Ziva's daughter, Talia Grace, was a winter baby, born on New Year's Eve, as a result of a weekend away as a wedding anniversary celebration. By the time summer rolled around again she was six months, and they left her with Gibbs. They told him it would only be for one week, that they would shorten their vacation. He told them not to worry. It was his duty, as godfather, to take care of little Talia DiNozzo. Little Penelope Caitlin and Leroy Timothy McGee were with Tim's parents, since he and his father had made up for their bad history.

Over the years, the four friends visited LA and New York, then branching out to England, Spain, Italy, Australia, Hawaii, France, China and India. They saved up for it every year, and would take turns picking where they would go (by the pattern of Tony, McGee, Abby, Ziva). When it was Ziva's third turn, she picked Miami again, just for a long weekend.

She did run into Ray that weekend, by some weird unlucky chance. He was very polite about it all. She asked him how he was doing. He told her after the breakup he didn't do well, even dated EJ for a while, but ended up marrying a beautiful woman and having two boys, who looked just like him.

She showed him a picture of Talia. She had her olive skin and dark hair, widow's peak and all, but Tony's emerald eyes and that 1000 watt DiNozzo smile. The picture was with Anthony DiNozzo Senior in hospital during his chemotherapy a year earlier. He came out of it, though. Good genes.

"If my son can survive pneumonic plague, I can beat this thing," he had told them, and he kept his promise. "Don't you worry, sweetheart," he had said to a teary Talia. He made a better grandfather than he did a father.

"She's a beautiful child," Ray said to her. "She looks like you. Tony too."

They got coffee, they talked. Ray's boys were eight and ten years old, and they loved baseball and football, she learned.

"Tali plays the piano, and does ballet," Ziva said.

"Just like her mom," Ray smiled. He remembered after all this time?

"But she loves movies. Wonder where she got that."

It was surprisingly not weird. It was like two old friends, almost.

She never told Tony. She was about to, but when she got home, she found Tony on the phone to Talia, and the smile on his face was too precious to ruin by dredging up the past.

"Wanna talk to Mommy?" Tony said into the phone, and Ziva's face lit up when she heard her daughter's voice.

"Hi, Mommy!" she exclaimed.

"Hi, sweetheart, how was your day?" Ziva asked, and Talia launched into a long-winded story.

…

Talia celebrated her tenth birthday that winter. Gibbs, who had long since retired, visited specially, with a new bike for her. It had been some time since he had seen Tony and Ziva, or McGee and Abby—in person, at least (Abby always made sure they had an active webcam connection no matter where he was), but they looked as happy as they did when he left. So did Tali and Penelope and little Leroy, three of the closest friends you could possibly get.

As they clock struck midnight and they rolled in the New Year once again, everyone cheered.

It wasn't close to the end of their story, but it was nothing short of happy.

**A/N: The end! I can't believe this story is over! I have loved writing it so much, it's been the best fun and I hope you have enjoyed the ride. I love you all, readers, each and every one of you are spectacular people and the best a writer could ask for!**

**One more thing before I go (drum roll)**

**I'm releasing a sequel to this story, about McGee, Abby, Tony and Ziva's adventures around America and the world! Be on the lookout for it, everyone and for the last time. . . . . **

**Please review!**


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